From Chuks Moses, Awka
Any teacher who consents to being posted to the hard-to-reach parts of Anambra State will get an extra 20 percent to his regular pay packet, Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano, has announced.
And gladdened by the exploits of members of the State’s School Debate team that won the 58th edition of the President’s Schools Debating Championship held recently in Abuja, the Governor dished out cash awards.to them and their coach.
Anambra State has won the Championship consecutively for the fourth time now.
Obiano disclosed that his administration approved the payment of the additional 20 percent of the teachers salaries to assist teachers in the hard-to-reach areas of the state.
The enhanced pay, according to the governor, has helped to address the challenge of teachers rejecting their posting to the hinterlands.
He said that the move by his administration at improving quality of education in hard-to-reach areas of the state has started yielding dividends.
He made a cash donation of one million naira to the students that excelled in the National debating competition, and five hundred thousand naira to their coach. They were drawn from various schools in the State.
Obiano declared that under his watch, Anambra will continue to participate in such activities that can sharpen students academic instincts and expose them to more learning and competitive drive.
Presenting the students, the Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof Kate Omenugha, attributed the successes of the students to the clear blueprint the state has for education.
The debate team captains, Oluchukwu Nwafor Godfrey and Emmanuel Nwafor, thanked the State government for its magnanimity in sponsoring them to the event.
Gov Obiano also used the occasion to receive in audience the four award-winning teachers from Anambra State who won awards at the 2019 World Teachers Day Celebration and President’s Teachers’ and Schools Excellence Awards which held recently in Abuja.