The Ekiti State Government is to establish Mega Schools in each of the 16 Local Government Areas of State.
The Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Femi Akinwumi who made this known while featuring on Ekiti Loni/Ekiti Today, a live audience-participation programme on radio, said the proposed mega schools will be furnished with State of the art Information Communication Technology equipment and ultra modern audio visual facilities in order to make products of the schools to be globally competitive.
He said each of the proposed mega schools would also have 12 classrooms , capacity for at least 400 pupils equipped with, Science, Computer, and Home Economics Laboratories, Library and Modern Toilet Facilities with water & sanitation facilities which will all be secured with perimeter fence.
Prof. Akinwumi however disclosed that school enrollment would be a major parameter for the citing of the mega schools
Prof. Akinwumi disclosed that as part of efforts to further improve the the teaching and learning environment in schools as well as the capacity of teachers in the basic education sector, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has approved the payment of over N3.5 billion as counterpart funds for the 2024 UbEC/SUBEB Intervention funds
He said the move will ensure back to back massive Government intervention in public schools in the State which began in 2018 continues without interruption in the State.
What reiterating the commitment of the Oyebanji led administration to creating a conducive environment for teaching-learning experience, said that the State government would release funds for continuous and regular maintenance of schools infrastructure and not having to wait till it becomes dilapidated.
He also disclosed that, as part of efforts to ensure the basic education sector is digitised, Ekiti SUBEB would embark on a “Paperless Policy, hoping to digitalize everything in our schools which include, school registers, attendance booklets and computation of results and it is expected to begin with one school in each of the 3 senatorial districts of the State.
The Chairman stressed that the digitization of school materials are being implemented by the State government in partnership with some development partners at no cost to Ekiti State government as a form of trial run.
Prof. Akinwumi also noted that in order to boost the capacity of teachers in the basic education sector in the State , the Board has secured approval for the training of 4000 teachers in modern teaching methodologies this academic session noting that the number reflects a big improvement over what obtained last session during which only 2700 teachers were trained.
Akinwumi disclosed that following the establishment of the Graduate Teachers cadre in public primary schools in the State by the Oyebanji Administration, 505 teachers who had university degrees during the 2023 recruitment exercise have been harmonized to Grade Level 08 from GL 07.
He added that the proposed developments were meant to consolidate on the past achievements of the state government in the basic education sector.