41,000 Bayelsa pupils suffer setback as key project stalls

By Sam Jones, Yenagoa

Education delivery in primary schools in four local government areas of Bayelsa State could be disrupted due to a glitch in a focal education project, BayelsaPrime.

Since schools resumed on August 12 for the 2024/25 session, academic activities are yet to fully commence in public primary schools in Sagbama, Ogbia, Yenagoa and Kolokuma/Opokuma local government areas.

The BayelsaPrime project commenced in January 2023 in 216 primary schools in the four local government areas and involved over 3,000 teachers and 41,000 pupils.

BayelsaPrime provided books, smart phones for headteachers, tablets for teachers, monthly data and other teaching aids.

The project also provided daily teaching schedules, examination questions and result sheets as well as embarking on regular supervision across all the schools.

The project is aimed at checking absenteeism amongst teachers and encourage improvement teacher/pupil interaction in class activities in addition to reducing the number of out of school children.

However, it was gathered that since the resumption of schools in this academic year, teachers are yet to receive the daily teaching modules causing disruptions in education delivery in all the 216 primary schools.

A concerned headteacher said “Teachers are now teaching without lesson notes. Many teachers stay away saying there is nothing to teach.

“They helped me because of the teaching aspect. They actually encourage teachers. Then you would see teachers come to school on time because the technology would record the exact time they came into school.”

A group, Education Trust Minds, over two weeks ago raised the alarm over the threat to primary education following the failure by BayelsaPrime to send its regular teaching materials since schools opened.

When reached for comments on the development, the Executive Secretary, Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board, Victor Okubonanabo, said they are trying to sort it out.

There is the indication that the glitch has to do with payment issues, according to Okubonanabo, who disclosed that a memo has been raised by the Commissioner for Education to that effect.

“We are trying to sort it out. There was payment problem. Now the governor is not around, when he returns. A memo has been raised by the Commissioner for Education,” he stated.