By Abasifreke Effiong
AKWA IBOM – A Former governor, Obong Victor Attah, has encouraged the Akwa Ibom State Government to hand back schools it took from churches to the missions that started those schools.
Attah made the call at the first Akwa Ibom Education Summit held at Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio hall, said mission schools were strong in teaching morality.
“When I was governor we started the process of returning back schools to the mission. I want to recommend, if that process have not been completed, please, Your Excellency continue that process, hand back those schools because the missionaries taught us moral rearmament and the stuffs that we are made up of here today.”
He said the schools should be handed back with adequate compensation paid to the missions that owned the schools.
The former governor condemned the implored parents to desist from rushing children who are below four years through primary school.
Attah insisted that rushing children whose absorptive capacity has not fully developed through school was wrong, positing that a child who should be admitted into secondary school should be above 11 years.
“Please know that a child needs absorptive capacity to take in what he’s being taught. This business of rushing children from four years into primary school and then to secondary school, in advanced countries, I will tell you, secondary school intake is described as 11years plus. What that means is that, if school is starting today and you will be 11 tomorrow, you cannot be admitted. You must be 11 plus before you can enter a secondary school.”
“So rushing children to school so that you will say you have a genius, you are wrong. Believe me you create a situation where that child cannot properly develop.”
Attah applauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for giving organising the summit, saying that the summit underscores the seriousness the Udom Emmanuel administration places on education.
“…that Governor Udom Emmanuel has chosen to organise this summit shows me that he is determined that his government will not play politics with education.”
“We are expecting that this summit will bring about what was described as a turnaround in our educational system”, Attah stated.
