The candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the November 6 Anambra governorship election, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, has perfected a unique model, ‘Adopt-A-School Initiative’ that will guarantee free education to all children in both public and private schools across the state, immediately he is elected into office.
A statement signed and made available to journalist by the Publicity Secretary of ZLP Campaign Council, Mr. Afam Dozie Ofomata noted that “the widely commended initiative will ensure that pupils and students in private primary and secondary schools across the state enjoy free education like their counterparts in public schools, while granting dilapidated schools, renovation and retooling windows”.
According to Okonkwo “the ‘Adopt-A-School Initiative’ is part of Dr. Obiora Okonkwo’s practical homegrown strategy towards revamping the ailing education sector, bridge escalated education deficit, reverse the figures of out-of-school children and uneducated young adults across Anambra and return the state to its leading position in education in the country”.
Under the initiative, Okonkwo has already perfected a framework that will attract public spirited corporate bodies as well as philanthropic individuals in the state to “adopt” screened and accredited private schools and provide them with regulated financial and material endowments which will, in turn, defray fees and levies being paid by pupils and students in such schools.
The statement further reads that “the scheme would be further powered by government guarantees and grants, where necessary, particularly for schools in remote rural areas in the state”.
This is in addition to provision of sporting complexes across the local government areas of the state to enhance physical development and harnessing young talents across the state.
Beneficiary schools, under the initiative, will be determined by set standards and sieving self-regulation processes by private school owners and stakeholders in the sector.
The ZLP is pleased to inform that under the scheme, school adopters are to be motivated with incentives including tax waivers and investment patronage in productive sectors which will also provide employment, increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.