OPINION
KEFAS’ FREE EDUCATION POLICY IN TARABA! SO FAR, SO GOOD
By Nasihatu Yusuf
There is no doubt that the introduction of Free Education Policy in Primary and Secondary Schools as well as the reduction of fees in Tertiary Institutions in Taraba State have brought succour to some parents and substantially reduced their hardships as many families have testified that the policy has positively changed their lives while many students of Tertiary Institutions are testifying over what the slashing of their school fees by the moving forward Governor means to them.
Gov Kefas
In essence, the Free Education Policy of Governor Agbu Kefas has generally reduced hardships by taking off the burden of schools on parents, increase of students’ enrollments in schools as parents now send more of their children to schools up to the higher institutions.
The Free Education Policy of the Governor has also provided extra funds to parents and students, reduced the troubles and anxieties on students and parents when ever schools reopens, over the payment of school fees, making pupils and students more committed to their studies instead of working extra hours looking for school fees .
Similarly, the Free Education Policy has led to greater calm within the education sector and reduced unethical practices such as cultism and other criminal tendencies as well as increased the demand on business men and women like Traders, Tailors, Builders, carpenters, etc to benefit as many schools are being renovated and uniforms, school sandals are set to be distributed to all government primary and secondary schools free of charge.
So far, the Governor has settled both the Students’ last year’s West African Examination’s Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) registration fees, renovated some Primary Schools has started providing the School Uniforms he promised to Pupils and Students.
To show his seriousness on the Free Education Policy, Governor Agbu Kefas suspended Eleven (11) Principals for violating the policy by collecting money from newly admitted students and he went extra miles by meeting with Principals and all administrators in the State where he expressed his resolve for the success of the Free Education Policy and gave matching orders on how to see to the success of the policy.
Although Tarabans welcomed the introduction of the free education, the pace at which the policy is moving, people see it with mixed feelings while some see it as a huge success.
So far, majority of the people of the State are looking at it as moving in a snail space.
There are suggestions that more Schools should be established because of more enrollment of pupils and students while the dilapidated ones be renovated, uniforms, books and instructional materials promised by the Governor be provided, incentives be provided to Teachers by training and retraining them and also improve their welfare through promotions, increase in salaries and allowances to make them more committed to their duties.
Apart from that, Government should constitute a high powered monitoring unit to ensure that the free education policy is well guided and implemented without any hitches and by so doing, we shall have light at the end of the tunnel.
