The Enugu State Government has announced plans to commence construction of eight Science, Technical, and Vocational (STV) Schools in the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah revealed this on Wednesday during the inspection of the Government Technical College, GTC, Enugu school premises.
Prof Mbah further revealed the STV Schools will focus on three major areas; Science and Technology, Building and Architecture, and Industrial Agriculture.
Disappointed at the present state of GTC Enugu, the Commissioner reiterates the need to have a conducive learning environment in the state where practical science, technical, and vocational education be taught to the young ones to enable them to compete with the 21st-century industries.
“As you can see, this historic institution established in 1948 has lost its former glory. The buildings all around us are in different stages of dilapidation,” the Commissioner said.
“But we are happy to share with Ndi Enugu the good news that the Enugu State Government has already embarked on a very audacious education reform project to establish eight brand new Science, Technical, and Vocational Schools servicing SS1 to SS3 in the STVSMB category of schools, starting with GTC.”
“The governor believes that we are now in a new age of industry and technology. So, we want to bring back the lost glory of GTC, by making sure that it reflects the new opportunities and realities of industrialization, economic development, and of youth empowerment,”
“We will be establishing one new STV School in each of the eight federal constituencies in Enugu State over the next two years. The very first is being sited at this historic location, GTC, Enugu.”
“There will be three models of the Science Technical and Vocational schools. The first model is focusing on science and technology. These are schools that are going to train our young people, who have finished from basic schools and the Enugu Smart Green Schools as well as graduates, who have no job. We are going to train them in the areas of emerging technology, preparing them to be ready for industry, the areas of robotics, mechatronics, coding, programming, ICT, and others to get these young people ready for industry.”
“The other model is the School of Building and Architecture. These are vocational schools where our children will learn all components of building – from bricklaying to electrical, plumbing, roofing, among others. We will manufacture our materials in these schools and we will build.”
“The third model is the Science Technical and Vocational School of Industrial Agriculture,” the Commissioner said.
Prof Mbah also disclosed the state government’s plan to build a smart green school within the GTC, Enugu premises.
He explained that the innovation of setting up a smart secondary school within the same premises as the existing technical school is geared at forging an easy pathway to science, technical, and vocational education for the students.
“We have model senior secondary schools that are also smart schools that are forthcoming. And there is also a historic milestone investment in our tertiary institutions. So, this is once again a very important milestone in the achievement of the educational reform vision of Governor Mbah for Enugu State,” Prof Mbah said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Christopher Isife, Principal of GTC, Enugu, expressed optimism in the effect of interventions on the students and school.
Describing the STV School project at GTC as a game changer, the principal bemoaned the unfortunate dilapidated state of the once revered institution.
“It has never been better in the past years of our existence as a college, but today, the talk and do governor has come to wipe away our tears. So, the GTC community, students, and teachers are very, very happy and we are grateful to him,” Principal Isife said.
Recall that the state government allocated 33 percent of the budget to the Education Sector in the 2024 budget.
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