How we’re transforming education through KwaraLEARN — AbdulRazaq

KKwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has flagged off the distribution of 120,000 customised exercise books, 1,600 cartons of white chalks and 90 android tablets for basic schools in the state

Other items distributed for the basic schools at an event that took place at Burhanudeen Primary School, Ojagboro in Ilorin, are rulers, pencils, textbooks and other instructional materials

According to the governor, the programme was another bold testimonial of how far his administration had gone in reshaping the future of the state through provision of qualitative education

The governor, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Strategy, Alhaji Saadu Salahu, said that “History will remember how our administration took basic education from total collapse to a new height, where Kwara State now ranks among the best in the country ”

AbdulRazaq added: “Our in-terventions have been in phases and strategic. We began with restoring our relationship with UBEC. We have injected billions of naira into improving the learning environment across the state, and this is visible to the blind

We hired very competent teachers to man the classrooms We introduced technology to empower these teachers and bring them up to speed in the 21st century teaching techniques through the KwaraLEARN initiative

“We pay teachers their salaries in full, and we are steadily clearing the arrears we inherited. We have zero tolerance for examination malpractices. We have also introduced various incentives to encourage excellence across various levels On top of these is the distribution of books, computers and other educational materials to our basic schools

“The results have been impressive, but we can do better together School enrollment has improved by 45 per cent across the state Today, Kwara State now has the fifth lowest out-of-school children in the country, according to the NBS data We have also recorded appreciable improvement in literacy and numeracy skills among Kwara school children This is due to our commitments to inclusive growth through human capital development ”

Earlier, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Shehu Adaramaja, had disclosed that the governor’s intervention on basic education culminated in the state now occupying number five position on the list of SUBEB assessment table

“Before the inauguration of Governor AbdulRahman Abdul- Razaq’s administration in 2019, Kwara SUBEB was occupying the 37th position, even the FCT was better than us then,” he stated

The SUBEB boss added: “His Excellency’s renewed relationship with UBEC has also attracted three out of 30 FG/UBEC Bilingual Education Schools to the state. Construction works are ongoing in Share (Ifelodun LGA), Ballah (Asa LGA) and Bani (Kaiama LGA)

Let me also add that our governor’s good interpersonal relationship has also earned the state one of the best UBEC Smart Model Schools in the country This school is located at Adeta in Ilorin West LGA and will soon commence academic activities by April, 2023