Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has officially commissioned the Ogbo Central Smart School in Ipupe, marking the start of a 20-school initiative designed to drive education through technology and human capital investment.
The initiative includes equipping classrooms with tablets and interactive boards, with a long-term goal of fostering global competitiveness through a 20% budgetary allocation to the sector.
Speaking during the event, Governor Otti said the Ogbo Central Smart School is the first of 3 such projects that shall be commissioned this month across the 3 senatorial districts of the State.
“The Ogbo Central Smart School here in Ubakala is the first of 3 such projects that shall be commissioned this month across the 3 senatorial districts of the State. Thereafter, we shall have another 17, one per local government, to further commission for the use of our pupils and teachers over the next few months”.
Governor Otti disclosed that Abia has moved into a new era of technology-driven, participatory model of learning, noting that each of the 20 smart schools that will dot the landscape by the end of the year shall be equipped with interactive boards and each pupil, 300 per school, 30 in a classroom, will be handed a tablet to support their learning experience.
“As one can observe within the premises of this facility, multiple ecosystems have been integrated to give every learner the creative edge they need to achieve distinction here in the school and outside it.
“The green environment paints a clear portrait of the future we want for our children just as the teachers that have been specially trained for these schools demonstrate our conviction that technology will only remain an idle tool if the human drivers are not prepared to leverage it for results.
“The predictive security measures and the sick bay are pointers to the administration’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the pupils and staff of the school. Welcome to the future of public education in Abia.”
The Abia State Chief Executive also appreciated the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, for being obliged to lead the commissioning of this project.
“This is an honour we do not esteem lightly knowing how tight the Honourable Minister’s schedule has been. For our children, this is a special moment, one they will remember for the rest of their long lives because they are now witnesses to the dawn of a new epoch”, he stated.
The Governor Informed that quality education offered the ladder to reach the summit of professional dreams. The agenda according to him is to offer every child the opportunity to also chase their own dreams and become just anything they wish.
“The recruitment and retraining of thousands of teachers, building of new school infrastructure and the policy of free and compulsory basic education are all aimed at preparing our children for the extensive demands of the future.
“ The world as we know it has been shrunk by the miracle of technology to a global village so the competition for jobs, innovation and impact are no longer local; as we have seen with recent international mathematics and science competitions, the space has been opened up to give any child the opportunity to show the world what they are made of.
“The only disadvantage any child can suffer today is the failure of those of us at the helm to make the right investments in the critical frontlines of education. I can, however, assure us here and now that every child in Abia, whatever their family background, will be offered the support they need to compete and find their place at the top.
“Our plan for the education sector will only see limited success without the active support of the relevant stakeholder groups, especially parents, guardians, community and religious leaders. Beyond encouraging regular school attendance by pupils and students, we also need to appreciate the place of discipline, hard work and other qualities that enable success in the pursuit of excellence”.
Governor Otti explained that the Abia State school system has been re-engineered to build champions but insisted that academic laurels are nothing without a firm foundation of character.
“The job of guiding our children to learn the principles of delayed gratification and independence is not for the teachers alone; much of what a child becomes is shaped by what happens in the home. We therefore encourage every adult to appreciate their place as role models to the children around them.
“As I had consistently noted, it is not only sophisticated public infrastructure that separates the third world from those higher up the development ladder; it is actually the public mindset and the consciousness that we all have a part to play in building the society of our dreams.
The Governor however warned against any attempt to vandalise school infrastructure in any part of the State for whatever reason. He revealed that the administration is committing scarce public resources to these projects and will treat as a public enemy, anyone or group of people found to be remotely connected to even the smallest act of vandalism.
“Community leaders are expressly directed to prioritise the protection of school infrastructure in their domains as the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on anyone who attempts to sabotage the efforts of the government to build a better future for our children. May I also make it abundantly clear that no form of extortion, whether of pupils or their parents, shall be allowed in any of our schools, especially the smart schools.
“The schools have been built to encourage effective teaching and learning, not to open new fronts for illegal collection of levies by greedy officials; anyone who runs foul of our zero-extortion policy will face tough disciplinary actions”, he lamented.
