Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara says his administration will transform the educational system in the state to ensure parents bring back their children and wards from private to public schools.
Governor Fubara said this when members of the Rivers State Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) for All Government Schools paid him a solidarity visit at Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nweake, Governor Fubara noted that his administration plans to give public schools a facelift both in terms of infrastructure and content development.
The Governor pointed out that government efforts were aimed at reducing the burden on parents who spent greater percentage of their meager salaries for school fees with a view to making life better for their children.
“We are going to transform the school system in Rivers State. The school supervision is also going to be made stronger.
“Many people are forced to take their children to private schools. We will make our schools to be models whereby there will be an osmotic movement from the private schools back to the public schools.
“Many people, the minimum wage is not enough for them, because they have to pay for private schools’ fees. But when we rebuild government schools in terms of infrastructure, and more importantly the content, people will come back from the private schools.
“When that happens, parents will have less to pay, cost of living will become lower and standard of living will become higher and better economy for us,” he said.