Lawmaker Seeks Emergency in Akwa Ibom Science Education

The Deputy Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kufre Abasi Edidem, has announced plans to push for a complete revival of interest in Agricultural Science and Biology education across all public schools in the state. He argues that the significant underperformance in these subjects requires a declaration of an immediate state of emergency.

The lawmaker made the announcement on Friday at the grand finale of the ARISE quiz competition, dubbed BrainWave, which he personally sponsored for his constituents in Itu State Constituency. His decision was based on the “abysmal performance” of students from both public and private schools in the two life sciences, starkly contrasting with their satisfactory results in core science subjects.

Edidem noted a severe gap in academic achievement, stating: “From what I observed, all the students scored below 20 per cent in Agric Science and Biology, while in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, their performance was above 85 per cent.” He stressed that this clear performance gap signals an urgent need for the deliberate reawakening of interest in Agricultural Science within secondary schools.

The Deputy Speaker emphasized the economic significance of the subjects. He urged young people to recognize that agriculture is no longer limited to subsistence farming but is now an advanced field driven by technology, research, and innovation. He argued that students must be encouraged to embrace this field as a crucial pathway to wealth creation, food security, and national economic growth.

To achieve this necessary shift, Edidem believes there is an urgent need to deploy more qualified Biology and Agricultural Science teachers, not just in Itu, but across the entire state. He pledged that as the people’s representative, he will continue to advocate strongly for this crucial intervention within the appropriate government channels.

Beyond the general subject concern, the lawmaker also called for a “state of emergency” to be declared at one specific school within Itu Local Government due to its exceptionally poor showing in the competition. Though he did not disclose the school’s name, he expressed dismay that the best three students fielded by the institution were unable to correctly answer a single question across the entire quiz.

Edidem revealed his shock, stating that if the three best students, who are preparing to sit for the West African Examination Council, “couldn’t answer one question in three subjects, a state of emergency should be declared on that school.” He announced plans to launch a thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of the appalling performance.

The lawmaker noted that not every issue should be directed to the Governor. He instead pledged to liaise with the local council chairman to implement immediate interventions for the struggling school. However, he commended Governor Umo Eno for the massive upscaling of infrastructure in public schools across the state.

He praised the government’s efforts, noting: “The new model schools, renovations, and instructional materials provided under the ARISE Agenda are clear evidence of a government committed to building a stronger future for our children.” He expressed gratitude and encouraged the continuation of these transformative investments in education.

In a positive highlight from the competition, West Itam Secondary School, a public secondary school, secured the first position, earning a cash prize of N1 million, three tablets for the participating students, and copies of the Bible. Monef Secondary School and Word of Faith International, both private schools, took second and third positions, receiving cash prizes of N750,000 and N500,000 respectively, along with learning materials.