By Musa Solomon
Kogi State Commissioner for Education Hon. Wemi Jones said that Kogi Government has keyed into the Federal Government DOTS Educational Policy for the growth and economic development of the State.
He made this known during a personality interview with our crew in Lokoja on Monday.
According to him, the State would key into policies that would improve the quality of Education.
“DOTS” which Stands for; Data Capturing, Reduction of out of School Children” rate, Teachers Training , Skill Acquisition is already being implemented in the State, he said.
The Commissioner stated that the State Educational plan has captured all the policies imbedded in DOTS, explaining that the on going data capturing of schools and students, the Free Education and Free Examination policies of the State Government are inline with the DOTS policies of ensuring that children of school going age have access to affordable and quality Education.
The free education and free Examination policies of the State Government according to him has begun to yield positive impacts as the enrollment rate of pupils in schools have increased and the state has recorded a low rate of out of School Children amongst the states in the North.
He stated that the State Government would give priority to Basic and Secondary School Education, saying that without a good foundation the investment being made in Education would go to waste.
Kogi he noted is operating an all inclusive Educational Policies that creat room for disadvantage children to operate, adding that the state has a Second Chance policy that provides room for female students who dropped out of school for any reason to complete their Education.
The Commissioner who employed parents to take advantage of the State Government policies in Education to enroll their wards in schools, said hawking during school hours by Children of school going age is an offense under the 2020 Kogi State Education Law, saying the Law empowered the Ministry to arrest children found hawking during school hours and prosecute the parents, noting that government would not hesitate to enforce the Law.
Responding to a caller who requested to know the State Government plan for technical colleges, the Commissioner stated that the State Government has started the fixing and remodeling of the Four technical colleges in the State to comply with the new thinking of the Federal Government in the area of technical, vocational education and training.
Also responding to a text message on the establishing a secondary school in Ganaja Village of Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the State, the Commissioner said, the Governor has approved the establishment of a secondary school in Ganaja and assured that academy activities would commenced in September, 2025.
