The House Committee on Education in the Bayelsa House of Assembly, on Thursday, conducted oversight visit to Government Science and Technical College, Okaka and International Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Opolo, funded by Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF).
The Committee Chairman, led by Hon. Charles Daniel, said the purpose of the visit was to assess the impact of the EDTF’s interventions in enhancing academic standards within the state’s educational institutions.
During the tour, the committee observed the EDTF’s involvement in various projects.
The Chairman said that the assignment of the team is to visit projects executed by the EDTF like the technical school they went to was for them to have first hand information to see what they have done on ground.
According to him: “I think from what the school used to be and from what we saw today there is a whole lots of improvement in terms of workshop, talking about the practical aspect.
“But we are still emphasizing the practical aspect should be far above the theoretical aspect than we have in the secondary schools.
“So I believe that we have not arrived but we are moving to where we are going there is still so much that is desired in the technical school but for the EDTF, they have tried.
“We still want them to put in their best, they have intervened but from time to time they still need to upgrade what they have done.
“Also we came to see what they have done in the hospitality department but from what we saw, I think without the intervention I don’t know what this place have been.
“About 80 per cent of the equipment were purchased by EDTF, I want to say they have done their best, my advice to the Rector and the institution is that they should make best use of the equipment.
“Thank God for the power that the EDTF has provided 150KVA Generator for them. That is also commendable I believe that they are going to make the best of the equipment,” he said.
He urged the students to take their studies seriously, as they have seen a transformation in the hospitality industry.
On her part, the Executive Secretary EDTF, Mrs Alice Atuwo, said the institute of Hospitality has put in a good level of seriousness in the way they have put in use the equipment they got from EDTF.
On the technical college,she said: “You saw the situation like the Chairman said there are some level of indiscipline because they were aware of our visit but they were not prepared to receive the visitors.
“The Ministry of Education,the Science and Technical Education Board that the school is under will do some interaction with the Management of that school.
“So that next time they will be ready to receive more visitors, particularly when it concerns the things they have provided for the school, people are doubting if the things were actually provided.
“But I know they were provided our monitoring and evaluation have visited that school several times but today they were not ready,”