The Federal Capital Territory Administration has approved two contracts for the procurement and distribution of examination materials to public primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools across the territory.
The FCT Education Secretariat said the procurement was necessary following increased enrolment in public schools, which officials attributed partly to the renovation and upgrading of government schools.
Mandate Secretary Danlami Hayyo said improved facilities had encouraged some parents to move their children from private to public schools. He said the administration was also providing instructional materials and improving learning environments.
Hayyo, however, noted that academic performance depended on more than infrastructure, including teacher motivation, welfare and professional development.
He said some disruptions in recent academic performance were linked to industrial action by teachers. The FCTA has also intervened in outstanding teacher payments, agreeing to cover 40 per cent of arrears while area councils are responsible for the remaining 60 per cent.
According to Hayyo, the administration releases N2bn monthly as an intervention fund to help settle outstanding payments owed to area council teachers.
