Abakaliki — Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), has signed a collaboration agreement with the Faculty of Education, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, for the training and re-training of primary school teachers.

Under the agreement, Ebonyi State University through its Consultancy Unit, is expected to organise short and long term training programmes for primary school teachers, to refresh and upgrade their skills and qualifications to acceptable standards.

Speaking at the signing-in ceremony, which took place in his office, Vice-Chancellor, Ebonyi State University, Professor Fidelis Oga, described the event as remarkable, because Ebonyi UBEB has thrown a challenge to the University by giving the institution a task that would test its ability to help the community and show that it is indeed a tertiary institution that could be reckoned with in Nigeria.

"To put the matter straight, this is all about training and re-training of teachers for the primary school system in Ebonyi State, which otherwise, normally was to be contracted to a different body outside the state. But Chief Austin Edeze, UBEB Chairman, decided to throw the challenge to us and said, 'Why do we have to go elsewhere when there is a University here with a faculty of education?" he said.

Oga said the training exercise was a core programme of the state government, aimed at revamping and upgrading the primary school system to ensure that the pupils are properly trained. He urged the University's Consultancy unit to recognise the importance of the exercise, and ensure that it did not fail.

In his remarks, Edeze expressed happiness that the dream of the Board has come through, saying, "what is happening today is very, very important in our educational development."

He said the state Governor, Sam Egwu, has been funding free and compulsory, qualitative education, but noted that the last education summit held in the state exposed the fact that the quality of education was still very low not only in the state but also nationwide.