SENATOR JOY EMODI COMPELS FG TO DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN EDUCATION

  

Senator Joy Emodi, yesterday urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency

in the country’s education sector. Emodi, a former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education made this call at the 2015 Annual Christmas Concert of Brickhall School in Abuja.

Noting that the rot in   the sector was worrisome, Senator Emodi said it was imperative for the Federal Government to also reduce taxation on private schools as this would make private education more affordable.

“My advice to this administration is that   they should   declare a state of emergency in the sector. There should be no going back, because there is serious rot in our educational   sector. Do you know some people still study under trees, you need to see the dilapidated buildings and the teachers are poorly motivated in our public  schools. In fact, it would be difficult to find well rounded students from such schools.

“The Federal government can also assist the private schools who are helping by reducing taxation and providing infrastructure, this would also help to improve access.  “I also support proposals for proprietors of private schools to be able to get soft loans at very low interest rates from the Education Trust Fund,” Senator Emodi who is the founder of the Brickhall Schools said.

Senator Emodi an educationist, lawyer turned politician who served in the Senate and subsequently as Special Adviser before leaving the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2013 said her intervention in the sector has been fulfilling given the tremendous progress the school made in a short time.

“We have seen significant improvement in academic performance from our pupils in many subjects and other activities where they had lapses prior to joining the Brickhall family and many parents attest to this.  “The elocution and   general conduct of the pupils are also improving with teaching of diction and etiquette which we initiated”, she said.

The school earlier in the week reached out to the less privileged by donating foodstuff, drinks and household items to City of Refuge Orphanage and Internally Displaced Camps, IDPs.