The Akwa Ibom State Government has said that it spent N1.5 billion every year on fees,lanterns and other items for secondary school students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen in Eket, on Monday.
Etiebet said that” payment of WAEC,lantern and Internal examination fees run into billions every year and every year is about N1.5 billion only for secondary schools.”
She thanked the governor for setting the pace in the education sector and advised that 80 percent of the students must have 5 As in subjects including English and Mathematics.
According to her, the governor had declared a state of emergency in education sector,hence education is free, compulsory and qualitative in the state
She called on stakeholders and development patners to join hands with the governor to promote education for the benefit of the children of the state.