LAWRENCE ANINI: END OF NIGERIA'S MOST FEARED ARMED ROBBER

(1)Education is the pivot upon which all socio - economic and political activities revolve.. Government therefore is charged with the onerous task of nation -building ,formulating, implementing and regulating educational policies and programmes including overseeing the general administration of the Basic and Secondary school system in accordance with the goals and needs of the State and in consonance with the National Policy on Education and other relevant policies/programmes such as the Education For All (EFA), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and vision 20:20 . In a nutshell, it is the responsibility of the government to provide Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary/Technical Education for the young ones as well as provide basic literacy and life skill education for adult learners who had earlier in life missed the opportunity of getting such education while they were children. These goals though are not without hiccups.Hence the indispensable role of labour union suchh as the Nigeria Union Of Teachers that protect the welfare of teachers at the Basic and Secondary Sbool level in line with the labour laws. The Delta State vision on education for instance is to provide unfettered access to Basic Education to all Children of Pre-Primary, Primary and Post Primary schools age for a qualitative, functional and free education that will equip them for purposeful living. The mission thought is to ensure the provision of qualitative, functional free and compulsory education to all children of school age, irrespective of religion, sex, culture and disability including the 2nd chance (Adult) Learners. The major policy strategy put in place by the State for the attainment of the educational goals and objectives is through the determined implementation of laid down educational policies in line with the National Policy on Education (NPE) and in tandem with the philosophy of the State Government. However the Primary and Secondary education sub-sector is critical to the development of sound education in the State. It is the foundation upon which subsequent educational blocks are laid. It is therefore important that this stage of the education system is solid. Over the years, the Ministry has adopted various strategies to ensure that laid down policies and philosophies on education are in tandem with the National Policy on Education and that other policy environments are well articulated and implemented. These include: Provision of efficient Quality Control and Assurance mechanisms through established statutory structures designed not only to ensure quality, but improved education service delivery to the citizenry. The structures include nine (9) Departments as stated here-under: Administration Planning, Research and Statistics Schools Inspectorate Science, Vocational and Technical Education Examinations and Standards Finance and Accounts Educational Resource Centre Public Private Partnership Adoption of deliberate policies to attract and retain all children of school age through the provision of Tuition – Free and child-friendly school environment from Pre-Primary to Secondary levels of education. Intensified community participation in the daily administration and welfare of schools through the establishment of virile Parents’ – Teachers’ Association (PTA), School Mentoring Programme (SMP) as well as the School Based Management Committees (SBMCs). Public Private Partnership Initiative, involving the active participation of Corporate Bodies, NGOs, Philanthropists and International Development Partners in meeting specific areas of need in schools, especially on infrastructural and capacity building development. The Ministry has a Field Office in each of the 25 Local Government Areas of the State with a Chief Inspector of Education (CIE) overseeing the activities of education. In addition, there are three (3) statutory Boards, an Agency and a French Language Centre supervised by the Ministry, namely: Post Primary Education Board (PPEB) In charge of secondary education in the state State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) oversees the activities of primary education in the state. Technical & Vocational Education Board (TVEB) All the vocational and technical needs of post primary schoosl in the state.while the Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education handles Adult education . All this laid down procedures would not have been lawfully taken care of without the mature role of the leadership of the NUT, ably led by it's Chairman ,Comrade Titus Okotie. It is however hoped that education under Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevbóri , having presided over the State House of Assembly that witnessed unprecedented stability would take Education to greater heights.