The Federal Government has approved the establishment of a Secondary Education Commission to oversee the operations of secondary schools in the country.

Prof. Anthony Anwukah, Minister of State for Education, who made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday at a valedictory news conference, said President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave approval for the establishment of the commission.

He also said that the Federal Government also reviewed downwards the charges in Unity Colleges from N83,000 to N49,500.

The minister said the government had pegged PTA levy at N5,000 across the board, thereby ending arbitrary charges of N75,000, which nearly inhibited access to unity colleges.

According to Anwukah, unity schools in Nigeria will remain as long as the Buhari administration is in power.

‘‘Having taken this position, we embarked upon the rehabilitation of unity colleges in all the ramifications required.

“The Buhari administration had spent a total of seven billion Naira on the provision of security infrastructure in the last four years.

‘‘Against the backdrop of insecurity in the north-east, affected by ‘Boko Haram’ as well as incidents of kidnapping in parts of the country, the Federal Government decided to provide basic security facilities in all unity schools,’’ he said.

On the development of infrastructure, Anwukah said that the government had embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, hostels, laboratories among others.

‘‘In spite of the economic downturn, we have done well in terms of investment in capital expenditure.

‘‘In terms of improving funding for the education sector, I am optimistic that the Federal Government will expeditiously look into the recommendations we have made in that respect.’’

The minister emphasised that if education could be adequately funded, the country would be able to compete with the world in the area of global knowledge.

NAN