From Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management has distributed 80,000 assorted instructional materials to public and private schools.
The materials, which include textbooks and curriculum guides, are aimed at supporting libraries and resource centers of the benefitting schools.
At a ceremony in Makurdi, Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Frederick Kyaan, explained that the donations are in line with the ministry’s core objective of providing total education to the Benue child.
He noted that the gesture was also in line with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s vision for the education sector, as well as the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council’s disposition on the teaching of religion, history, science and technology-based subjects.
“The breakdown of the materials showed that 20,000 textbooks were given to senior secondary schools, 20,000 to basic education and 40,000 curriculum guides in assorted educational standards.
“We urge the schools to make judicious use of the materials and stress the need for good record keeping, as the ministry would intensify monitoring to ensure compliance”.
The Director of Education Support Services in the ministry, Titus Anho, commended the Alia administration for extending the book distribution gesture to private schools, which was previously restricted to government-owned schools.
He pointed out that the policy would promote quality education to the Benue child at an affordable cost and described it as a laudable initiative by the state government, especially with the inclusion of private schools in the gesture, believing that this would go a long way in promoting quality education in the state.
Representative of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Benue State chapter, Ramson Guma commended Governor Alia for ensuring stable and quality education in the state with a promise that the books would be put to judicious use.
Guma particularly expressed appreciation to the state government for including private schools and promised to make good use of the materials, and ensure that the books are used to improve the learning outcomes of students.
