The Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board has announced plans to establish mega schools in each of the 16 local government areas of the state.

SUBEB Chairman, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, disclosed this on Thursday in Ado Ekiti, stating that the schools will be equipped with modern ICT tools, audio-visual facilities, and specialised laboratories to enhance learning.

Akinwumi said, “The mega schools will be furnished with state-of-the-art Information Communication Technology equipment and ultra-modern audio-visual facilities to make the products of the schools globally competitive.”

The SUBEB boss said that each of the proposed mega schools would also have 12 classrooms and a capacity for at least 400 pupils.

He said, “They will be equipped with science, computer and Home Economics laboratories, library and modern toilet facilities with water and sanitation facilities which will all be secured with perimeter fence.”

Akinwumi, however, disclosed that school enrolment would be a major parameter for the citing of the mega schools.

He disclosed that Governor Biodun Oyebanji had approved the payment of over N3.5bn as counterpart funds for the 2024 UBEC/SUBEB Intervention funds as part of efforts to further improve the teaching and learning environment in schools as well as the capacity of teachers in the basic education sector.

He said the move would ensure massive government intervention in public schools in the state, which began in 2018 and continued without interruption in the state.

He added that the state government would release funds for continuous and regular maintenance of school infrastructure and as well ensure the basic education sector was digitised.

According to Akinwumi, the digitisation of school materials is being implemented by the state government in partnership with some development partners at no cost to the Ekiti State Government as a form of trial run.

He added that SUBEB had secured approval for the training of 4,000 teachers in modern teaching methodologies in the ongoing academic season, noting that “the number reflects a big improvement over what was obtained last session, during which only 2,700 teachers were trained.”

According to him, following the establishment of the Graduate Teachers’ cadre in public primary schools in the state by the Oyebanji administration, 505 teachers who had university degrees during the 2023 recruitment exercise have been harmonised to Grade Level 08 from GL 07.