The Mr. Egbejule Arerebo Kingsley-led Gbaramatu Youth Council (GYC) in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, has commended community-based teachers that were recently recruited and deployed to various communities in the kingdom to bridge the gap of lack of teachers and to undertake teaching jobs.

The commendation was given during the GYC surprised visit to some community schools as part of its oversight functions of monitoring and assessing the performance of community-based teachers, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

The visited schools and communities include Okerenkoko Secondary School in Okerenkoko community; Ebiabu Primary School and Kokodiagbene Model Secondary School in Kokodiagbene community; Ebiabu Primary School II in Jones Creek; Oboro Primary School in Benikrukru community, Gbaraun Primary School and Gbaraun Grammar School in Oporoza community; Fiyewei Primary School in Kunukunuma. Other communities also visited are Azama, Kenyagbene, Inikorogha, Kurutie, Pepeama among others.

The youth body also handed over a copy of the government approved educational curriculum (scheme of work) to the schools visited to help guide the teachers and facilitate the execution of their jobs.

Speaking on the visit, the GYC Public Relations Officer, Comr. Maxwell Wuruyai, said, "It was positive because even the proprietors and the principals of the various schools attest that this has brought an educational turnaround for the various schools because of the shortage of teachers they were facing.

"Though there are challenges of infrastructures in some schools, but overall the teaching programme has been successful because the community teachers have been able to deliver their job from what the principals say. But we told them that with time we are going to evaluate this from the pupils and students," he clarified.

Meanwhile, the GYC has frowned at and lamented the poor conditions of learning infrastructures its delegation met on ground in some of the schools visited on Wednesday.

For instance, in one of the schools, pupils had to place a broken desk on their laps to give support while learning. According to the GYC delegation, there were also instances where some pupils in some of the schools visited had no desk to sit on. Teachers were not spared either as some teachers' quarters lacked desks for office use.

The GYC appealed to stakeholders in the kingdom to join hands together with the youth body and its sponsor to help ameliorate the condition of learning for pupils and students in the affected communities.

However, the youth body also expressed excitement on the quality leaning infrastructures in Benikrukru community school which it said serves as a template for other schools.

Among the delegation that were part of the assessment tour include the GYC Secretary, Comr. Erike Raphael; Comr. Evidence Onitsha, Doubra Padiayefagha, and an executive member of Kurutie community, Mr. Solomon Toruosei.

Recall that the recruited community-based teachers were mobilised to site on Tuesday, November 19, under the sponsorship of the Tompolo Foundation owned by High Chief Dr. Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, in collaboration with the GYC.

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