By Stanley Onyekwere
Following the commencement of a new academic session, both private and public schools in Abuja recorded an impressive turnout of students, pupils and teachers on the first day of resumption, after a long holiday period.
This impressive turnout was observed yesterday when some FCT Administration’s top management officials carried out a routine inspection of activities in primary, secondary schools within Garki Area 11, Garki Area 3, Wuye, Wuse Zone 6 and Wuse zone 3 respectively, which the authorities lauded as a good development.
Some of the schools visited included Government Science Technical College (GSTC), Area 3, Garki, Abuja; Junior Secondary School, AMAC LEA Primary School, Department of Mass Education (DME) Learning Centre, all located in Wuse Zone 6; and a private school: Pace Setters Academy, Wuye District of Abuja.
Others were Junior Secondary School, Area 11, and Government Senior School (GSS), Zone 3 Wuse, Abuja.
Speaking after monitoring the rate of resumption in the schools visited within the city, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, the Secretary for Education, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Joy Chinwe Okeke,
expressed satisfaction with the development, as they have resumed fully, which shows that the school children are ready to learn,
with the teachers also ready for their teaching activities.
Dr. Hayyo, however, urged the parents of those that are yet to resume, to release their children, so that they can join others in learning.
“All FCT schools both private and public have resumed, I’m very impressed with the situation. And as we can see, the environment is looking very well renovated. Because our minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike (FCT) as his priority is education.
“That is why he (Wike) has invested billions of naira in the renovation of the schools, even the class prefect of one of the school that we visited confirmed it that they are grateful to the minister for renovating their school, because now they are in a very good conducive environment for learning”, he stated.
On his part, James Musa Kuta,Director/Principal, GSTC, Area 3, Garki-Abuja, who described the turnout as encouraging, said lessons have started.
Kuta added that prior to the resumption, the school management had done fumigation, lowered the grasses, cleaned the classes and hostels, for the students to go in and learn.
He said: “They are supposed to be 1,060 plus students, we have 631 on resumption. So, we have just about 400, less than 400 left. And I’m sure they will be back.
“The major renovation was done by the Honourable FCT Minister. That is just a simple language that we should do better. And we are doing our best, and the children are also doing their best as the environment is better than it was. I want to thank the Education Secretary and the Honourable Minister for encouraging us a lot.”
Similarly, Gold Fatimoh Iyabo,
Principal of JSS, Garki-Area 11, revealed that on the first day of resumption, it recorded attendance of 238 out of its total number of 520 students.
Recall that school inspection is part of the secretariat’s ritual at the beginning of every term to monitor students’ resumption and teachers’ preparedness.
