Okowa is committed to technical education — Daibo
By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s commitment to technical education has shown that he recognises the importance of technical education in society building and infrastructural development of any society.
Commissioner for Technical Education in Delta State, Princess Shola Daibo stated this in Asaba while speaking with journalists.
The Commissioner noted that with the establishment of technical Colleges in the state, it was clear that the governor was focused and had the thought of his people in mind, adding that with the technical Colleges, all the categories of children had been captured in the education policy of the state.
Princess Daibo, who frowned at the ignorance in some quarters that technical education is meant for not too intelligent children, revealed that the students of technical Colleges were being trained in technical education as well as acquiring the normal secondary education.
“They learn all the subjects in our secondary schools and still learn technical education. Some are learning carpentry sewing, fabrication, scaffolding, POP etc. While learning these trades and skills, they are also reading and writing like the basic secondary school.
“You can see that technical education is for very intelligent students who can cope with the rigours of secondary education combined with technical education.”
Honourable Daibo, who was once a legislator in the State House of Assembly, remarked that the Ministry of Technical Education would soon embark on advocacy tour to sensitise the general public in order to correct the erroneous view that technical education is for less intelligent people.
She called on media practitioners to also help to sensitize the people on the importance of technical education.
“Governor Okowa has invested so much in technical education because he knows it holds the key to technological growth of our society.”
The Commissioner identified funding as one of the major challenges facing technical education in Delta State. She attributed this to the huge financial demand of technical education.
“The three technical colleges that we want to open cost about N1.4 billion and we are thinking of 19 colleges in all. So you can imagine how much fund will go into the colleges”.
She also called for support in form of partnership from members of the public.
“We don’t need physical cash support. Just support with equipments that we need in our laboratories and workshops. This will help a lot.”
Hon. Daibo also identified vandalism as one of the challenges being faced by technical education in Delta State.
She remarked that people often break into schools and vandalise the facilities and equipments which government had spent so much to put in place.
She appealed to host communities to partner with the government to secure these facilities.
“Their vigilante groups must work with other security agencies to protect the facilities that are in their communities.”
