The Abia State Government, through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, has commenced monitoring of schools across the state to assess compliance with the 2026/2027 academic session and ensure the immediate commencement of teaching and learning.
The monitoring exercise, which began today in Umuahia, covered Afaraukwu Technical School, Ibeku High School and Nkata Community School, among others, with officials assessing the presence of teachers and students and the level of academic activities following resumption.
Speaking during the exercise, the Director of Quality Assurance, Basic Education, Dr. Esther Mbuko, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance observed, noting that students had returned in good numbers and teachers were present in the schools visited.
At Afaraukwu Technical School, both the junior and senior sections had resumed, with teachers and students on ground and teaching and learning activities already underway.
At Ibeku High School, some students were engaged in classroom activities, while others participated in clearing and cleaning the school premises as the institution settled into the new academic session.
The monitoring team also visited Nkata Community School, where academic activities had commenced and teachers were present to engage the students.
Mbuko said the exercise was aimed at determining whether teachers and students had returned to school and, more importantly, whether effective teaching and learning had commenced.
She urged teachers to return from the long vacation with renewed zeal, courage and commitment, stressing that time lost in the classroom could not be regained.
The director also charged school administrators to strengthen supervision of teachers, students and corps members posted to their schools, urging them to discharge their responsibilities diligently.
She noted that the state government had continued to meet its obligations to workers and expected teachers to reciprocate through dedication, punctuality and effective service delivery.
Mbuko further advised teachers with genuine reasons for absence to obtain proper permission from their principals, stressing that their presence was essential to sustaining effective learning.
She also called on students yet to return to school to do so immediately, noting that their presence and active participation were necessary for the successful implementation of the academic programme.
The monitoring exercise, according to her, will continue across the three educational zones of the state as the ministry intensifies efforts to strengthen supervision and ensure that schools operate effectively and provide quality education to Abia children.
