The Akwa Ibom State Government has reiterated its w commitment towards investing in the education sector of the State to ensure a better future for every Akwa Ibom child.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet made this declaration at the open briefing of Principals, supervisors and other examination functionaries for the 2022 WASSCE examination held at Community Secondary Commercial School, Aka Offot on Friday.

The commissioner called on key players and stakeholders in the education sector to collectively employ strategies and modalities towards delivering an examination devoid of malpractices and other negative vices in line with Governor Emmanuel’s zero tolerance to such tendencies, in the upcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination for Schools Candidates (WASSCE-SC) in the State.

Mrs. Etiebet stated that the Akwa Ibom State Government will be spending eight hundred and thirty million (N 830,000,000) to ensure that children in public secondary schools write the WASSCE examination this year.

Recounting that education is still free and compulsory at the basic level and highly subsidized at the tertiary level, the education boss reiterated the state of emergency declared in the education sector and the target given by Governor Udom Emmanuel last year for 80 percent of the students writing WASSCE to score a minimum of five credits in subjects including English Language and Mathematics and further appealed that the target percentage which has been increased to 90 percent this year be achieved.

While noting the increment of WASSCE fees from 13,900 to 18,000 this year, she maintained that Principals and supervisors are critical stakeholders in ensuring that the students receive qualitative education and graduate by their own efforts to make sure that they defend the certificate they are being issued.

The Education Commissioner noted remarkably the synergy that exists between the present administration in the state and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) over the years and commended WAEC, the WAEC Deputy Registrar/ and Zonal Coordinator, Engineer A. Adebolu and all the WAEC staff working in Akwa Ibom State who have done all it takes to make sure Akwa Ibom children come out with excellent results, adding that the supervision that goes on in collaboratively by the Ministry of Education, the school boards and the team from WAEC is highly commendable.

She thanked the teachers, Principals and supervisors in both public and private schools for the good job of teaching, grooming and tutoring the students especially those in exit classes to be equipped for the examination and enjoined them to do last minutes revisions with with their students by suggesting ways that can assist them in answering the questions correctly through acronyms and abbreviations to boost their retentiveness.