Press Release-Group credits Fayemi over Ekiti NECO success Result

PRESS RELEASE Group credits Fayemi over Ekiti students success in NECO exams  A youth group, the Progressive Youth League (PYL) has credited the immediate past administration in Ekiti State, headed by Dr Kayode Fayemi, for the excellent performance of Ekiti students in the Senior Secondary School examination results released by the National Examination Council (NECO). According to the NECO Senior Secondary School examination released last Friday, Ekiti State came top with 96.48 percent among all the states in the federation. It was followed by Edo State with 96.31 percent. The PYL said the excellent performance by the students who were in the junior secondary school one when Dr Fayemi commenced the various educational policies of his administration, has proved that sound educational policy and a conducive atmosphere for learning were sine qua non to good performance. The PYL, in a statement by its Southwest Coordinator, Barrister Adeoye Aribasoye, said the excellent performance of the students had vindicated Dr Fayemi as a visionary leader whose educational policies provided incentives for both teachers, students and parents and laid a solid foundation for great performances in internal and external examinations. Aribasoye who lauded the free and compulsory educational policy of the Fayemi administration between 2010 and 2014, said the brilliant performance by the Ekiti students in the examination has also proved sceptics of free education wrong. “It is reassuring to note that this brilliant results were achieved by students who were the pioneering students of the free and compulsory educational policy of the immediate past administration.” The group which called on the present administration to revert to some of Fayemi’s educational policies which it has discontinued, stated that the success recorded by the students stemmed primarily from careful planning and incentives which had unprecedented positive impact on learning culture in the state. It listed some of the incentives instituted by Dr Fayemi to include, the distribution of solar-powered laptop computer to every secondary school under the laptop per child initiative; payment of rural allowances for teachers in the rural areas; Core subject allowances to teachers who teach core sciences , Mathematics and English Language and comprehensive renovation of all secondary school and primary school buildings in the state under Operation Renovate All Schools (ORASE).   “In all, the immediate past government renovated 183 secondary schools and 836 primary schools, thereby creating a conducive atmosphere for learning. This is in addition to the provision of books to the students. Fayemi's giant strides in education made Ekiti one of the three states in the federation that benefitted from  the World Bank's $50m State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP).” “It is on record that the Computer per Child programme of the Fayemi administration, which provided computers for both teachers and students, was launched six months ahead of the introduction of computer-based examination by the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB).” Aribasoye said while the administration organised computer training and mathematics clinics for teachers, also organised remedial programmes for students in each of the local government areas, just as it distributed about 400 motorcycles teachers serving in the rural areas of the state, and ensured that teachers benefited from the relativity pay for all categories of workers in the public service and also benefited from the 27.5% Teachers Pecuniary Allowance. The youth leader said, PYL is opposed to the introduction of fees in public schools by the Governor Ayo Fayose administration, said the group has finalised arrangements to commence a campaign to make education in primary and secondary schools free in Ekiti State. “Rather than exhibiting a jocose excitement about a brilliant results it did not contribute to, PYL urges the present administration to make education free and compulsory and also give incentives to teachers and students as did the immediate administration.” The group also congratulated the students and their parents for complimenting the efforts of the immediate past government in lifting education standards in the state. Barrister Adeoye Aribasoye Southwest Coordinator, Progressives Youth League.