Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been declared the champion of free and qualitative education by the State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party while reacting to the movement, yesterday, of pupils into the new ultramodern 20-classroom block constructed by the Amaechi administration, described the event as yet another feather on the governor’s cap.

“This is not only an epochal event but yet another testimony to the great love which Governor Amaechi has for Rivers children and his commitment to ensuring a rosy future for them. It has further consolidated the Governor’s position as the champion of free and qualitative education in modern Nigeria,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement issued this morning in Port Harcourt. He described the commissioning of the edifice as being unprecedented in the country, noting that there are now 15 of such world-class primary schools scattered across the state.

“We rejoice with our dear children who would benefit from these facilitates, even as we congratulate our able governor on this latest feat, which will help to ensure that every child in the State has easy access to education in line with the Education for All programme and the Millennium Development Goals vision of providing access to all children of school age by the year 2015,” Ikanya further said.

The one-storey Model Primary School located in the Elekahia area of Port Harcourt has a capacity to accommodate 600 pupils. One of the projects undertaken by Governor Amaechi after the declaration of a State of Emergency in the education sector in 2008, the 20-classroom block is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like demonstration science laboratory, library, ICT, sick bays, reception class.

“The introduction of the science laboratory is in line with the new national curriculum which encourages that children aged four years and above should be exposed to science education early enough so as to have better understanding of science courses in the future. The demonstration class is where the teacher demonstrates for the pupils what they are learning. It makes teaching and learning easier for the teacher and the pupils,” Ikanya stated.

•Photo shows a cross section of pupils in the auditorium of the ultramodern school block.

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