The Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) on Tuesday donated educational and learning materials to 225 public secondary schools and five technical colleges across Bayelsa.
The benefitting schools are drawn from the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
The items donated include desks and chairs, technical drawing and studio equipment, text books, notebooks, lesson notes diaries, teaching aids among others.
Prof. Ebimieowei Etebu, Executive Secretary of the EDTF while handing over the donated items, noted that the event was a milestone for education stakeholders in strengthening the foundations in Bayelsa.
He expressed gratitude to the Bayelsa Government for the resolute support to the Trust Fund.
According to him, I am happy for the synergy existing between the EDTF and other education stakeholders.
“It shows the power of shared vision in the quest for a brighter future for our children. Needless to emphasise that education is the bedrock of any thriving society.
“As Nelson Mandela famously said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can change the world’.
“In Bayelsa, we are committed to our young people with this weapon, empowering them to be leaders, innovators and trailblazers of tomorrow,” he said.
The executive secretary also noted that the learning materials were beyond mere tools as they hold key to unlocking potentials, sparking curiosity and fostering a love for learning.
Similarly, Dr Gentle Emelah, Commissioner for Education in the state lauded the EDTF for living up to its mandate as an interventionist agency in the education sector.
He acknowledged that previous tenures of the EDTF board under the supervision of the ministry had performed creditably leading to improved learning outcomes across all levels in education.
In the same vein, High Chief Fidelis Agbiki, Chairman of the EDTF board urged the beneficiaries to judiciously use the learning materials only for the purpose for which they were meant; which is to promote learning.
“This board is operating on the mantra ‘Business Unusual’ and we take monitoring and evaluation very seriously so we want the principals of the benefiting schools to ensure judicous use of these materials.” Agbiki said
Dr Daniel Charles, Chairman, Bayelsa House of Assembly Committee on Education urged the EDTF to ensure that schools in rural and remote communities were accomodated.
Meanwhile speaking on behalf of the benefiting public secondary schools, Mr Ibegu Robins, Principal, Government Model Secondary School Ogbia appreciated the EDTF for the gesture.
He noted that almost 95 per cent of students in public schools across the state would be benefiting from the intervention.
