The Anambra State governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has increased the monthly running cost for public schools in the state from N10,000 to a minimum of N50,000 only.

Soludo disclosed this while holding an interactive session with Head Teachers and Principals of public schools in the state.

The governor also assured that there will be an upgrade in infrastructure in all public schools in the state in the coming weeks.

He called for more community involvement under the Public, Community, Private Partnership arrangement in the schools such as in engaging in quality assurance and club of patrons to better the quality of education in the schools.

The governor pointed out that his administration will come up with independent monitoring team for schools, as well as provide phone numbers for schools as a feedback mechanism.

He expressed optimism that his administration will eventually get to the point where text books for children in public schools will be free, stressing that the aim is to make education accessible to the poorest of the poor, mainstreaming public schools to become smart and the model.

Soludo stated that part of the goal is to end the era of “PTA” teachers in schools, reiterating that the prosperous homeland cannot be attained by creating the vicious circle of the widening difference between the quality of education received by children of the poor and that of the rich.

He said that the primary role of government is to provide qualitative education and stressed that the quality of education in the public schools appears to be the weakest, assuring that his administration intend to bring back the era of using education as an equaliser and ladder of opportunities.