What is Abia State doing differently in Education?

Ikechukwu Iroha.
Since Gabriel Dike broke the news of Abia State Emerging best in West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination on the online platform of Sun news, people have continued to pour in words of commendation for the great feat recorded in the education sector.
For the second consecutive year, it can’t be a coincidence. There is something the State is doing differently to make this great impact in the Country.
The news did not astonish some of us who are at home with facts and figures of what have been put into the sector to make learning easy.
Unarguably, the State through the ministry of Education is working so hard to reposition the education sector and the results are so visible.
The result is a testament that the State’s policy on education is working. Abia will one day become an education hub in Nigeria going by structures that have been put on ground to achieving the “Abia tomorrow” in this all important sector.
Students can attest to the level of attention given to the sector. Studying under a conducive environment has a positive effect on the students. State Government has renovated many schools in the State. Also, the State under the “Friends of Ikpeazu adopt a school initiative” wherein industrialists in the State pick a school and renovate accordingly has recorded great success in the area of infrastructural development of Schools.
The ministry under the former commissioner for Education, Prof.Ikechi Mgbeoji took up the struggle to raise the standard of education in the State. Over 50 toilets built, 12 boreholes dug and quite large number of schools renovated.
Beyond infrastructural development, the sector has tried to work on the mindset of workers in the discharge of their duties. Many teachers in Abia State have undergone training and retraining from foreign bodies who are bent on inculcating in them the technical know-how to carry on the task of teaching .
Abia State Government emphasises on technical education. Here, students through the education for employment are able to acquire education and technical skills simultaneously. It means that an Abia student has the capacity to repair phones, operate computers, draw building plans, make garments etc depending on the person’s area of interest. While it develops students ability to learn, it gives them freedom to choose a career path in their area of specialty.
Dr. Ikpeazu aligns with Malcom X, that education is the passport to the future ,for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.
Why we build on these gains, Abia is still not relenting until the State is mentioned as the hub of education in Nigeria.