The Bayelsa government on Saturday restated its commitment to sustained funding of educational development from diverse sources in Bayelsa.

Mr Gentle Emelah, Commissioner for Education in Bayelsa gave the assurance at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Summer Class, Coding and Robotics Holiday Camping for selected senior secondary students in Bayelsa.

Students from the Ijaw National Academy (INA), Kaiama led other schools by sweeping the academic awards at the ceremony.

Declaring the month one month programme sponsored by the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF) closed, Emelah urged the benefiting students to take advantage of the programme to become successful in academics and life.

Miss Sunday Blessing of the Ijaw National Academy clinched overall best performance and four other awards in the programme aimed at preparing the students for forthcoming national examinations.

Addressing the students, Emelah commended the State Education Development Trust Fund for organizing the holiday camping programme.L

Emelah, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Christopher Ewhrudjakpo, advised the students to make use of the knowledge and skills they have acquired to develop themselves by excelling in external examinations such as the Senior School Certificate Examination, the National Examination Council and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Exams

Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa EDTF Dr Alice Atuwo said the objective of the programme was to groom a new generation of intellectuals in the state from the secondary school level

“Our aim at the EDTF is to help in the overal development of education across board in the state in a sustainable manner with monthly contributions from civil servants, political office holders and other donors,” Atuwo said.

In separate goodwill messages, a former Commissioner for Education, Dr. Jonathan Obuebite, Special Adviser to the Governor on Secondary Education, Mr. Adolphus Forcados, Executive Chairman of the State Teachers Training Certification and Registration Board, Dr. Stella Ogolo and the Camp Commandant, Mr. Pere Ikputu lauded the state government and the EDTF for assembling the best secondary school students across the State to prepare them to succeed academically and for life.

Students of the Ijaw National Academy clinched most of the academic awards including the overall best performance prize won by Sunday Blessing who emerged winner in four other categories.

Blessing, who wants to be a Medical Doctor in the future advised fellow students to remain focused on their academics.

Highpoints of the closing ceremony were parades by the students, cultural performance, poetry recitation and presentation to outstanding students.

A total of 1,200 students from 12 model schools across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa participated in the summer classes for SS3 students while 101 students in SS1 and SS2 were exposed to coding and robotics.

The Bayelsa EDTF was established by the administration of Ec-Gov. Seriake Dickson in 2017 to upgrade and improve the quality and standard of education in the State.

In the last five years, selected students in senior secondary school three from 12 model secondary schools from each of the eight local government areas are assembled and given intensive coaching to prepare them for the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate, the National Examinations Council, the General Certificate of Education and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Examinations.

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