KWSG Launches Commissioner-to-Classroom Helpline, Approves Online Common Entrance Registration

The Kwara State Government has launched a programme called Commissioner-to-Classroom (C2C): A helpline support service aimed at promoting safe and supportive learning environment for students in public and private schools in the state, while also approving online registration of Common Entrance Examination.

The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, stated this on Wednesday at the 1st quarter Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the Ministry of Communications, held at the conference room of Ministry of Finance, Ilorin.

In addition, Dr. Olohungbebe said the introduction of KwaraLearn has transformed the state education from analog to digital, stating that the programme has improved the learning activities in all public schools - the Kwara State students can now compete with their counterpart globally.

The Commissioner explained that KwaraLearn has doubled the enrolment of pupils across the state, revealing that KwaraLearn, in collaboration with the Ministry, had recently organised a training for about 1,800 teachers selected across the sixteen Local Government Areas of the state on Digital Literacy. 

Speaking on National Policy on Quality Assurance (NEQAP), Dr. Olohungbebe said Kwara State has  launched the new policy and its implementation to ensure quality education for its citizens, affirming that Quality Assurance Officers have zonal offices across the state to monitor the activities of teachers in order to ensure full implementation of government policies on education.

Further, he said the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration has embarked on massive construction and renovation of 35 schools, supplied laboratory equipments across the three Senatorial Districts of the state, stressing that the State Government did not award contracts to Contractors that are not competent and the Ministry ensured that any contract awarded was fully supervised till completion, while the Ministry also received series of assistance from Non-Governmental Organizations to partner with the Ministry on education programmes and trainings.

The Commissioner informed that the present administration has embarked on training and retraining of teachers across the state for efficiency.

Speaking on Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Dr. Olohungbebe noted that 898 Junior and Secondary Schools have been identified to benefit from the renovation and provision of WASH facilities through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) and Establishment of Grievances Redress Committees (GRC) in the 898 schools for project monitoring.

The Commissioner disclosed that AGILE had embarked on training of 70 Master Trainers who later did a step-down training for 140 others for students’ training on digital literacy, revealing also the development of validation of life skills manual for the training of adolescent girls on safe space education and training of Education Management Information System (EMIS) officials on data collection and management.

Dr. Olohungbebe added that the programme has engaged a Financial Service Provider (FSP) for easy cash flow to Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) beneficiaries and organised a  capacity-building for Second Chance Facilitators to train the out-of-school girls and young women.

 The Commissioner said AGILE has mapped out Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Service Providers to provide referral services to survivors of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) and it has engaged a series of stakeholders such as School Based Management Committees (SBMC), Community Service Organisations (CSOs) and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) on benefits derivable from the project.

Dr. Olohungbebe stated that the Agency for Mass Education in the state has launched a literacy programme; undertaken vocational skills acquisition for adults and youths; and launched literacy by radio programme aired on Midland FM 99.1 to eradicate literacy in the state.

Peter Amogbonjaye,

Press Secretary,

Kwara State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.