By Obiageli Nwankwo
The Anambra State Government has formally taken over the administration of Isingwu Community Secondary School, Oraifite, under its Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) initiative aimed at expanding access to quality education across the state.
The official handover ceremony took place at the school premises in Isingwu, Oraifite, marking the school’s transition from a community-managed institution to a government-owned secondary school.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, commended the Isingwu community for their dedication in building and sustaining the school for three years. She praised their commitment to youth development through education, describing it as a vital investment in the community’s future.
“What better legacy can one leave for the younger generation than the legacy of education?” she remarked.
She explained that the PPCP model provides a collaborative platform for the government, communities, and private individuals to work together in ensuring access to quality education for every child in Anambra State. She encouraged other communities to partner with the state government, provided they meet the state’s requirements for school takeovers.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Dr. Ifeoma Agbaizu, also urged the Isingwu community to construct a perimeter fence around the school to prevent land encroachment, an issue increasingly affecting government-owned school properties.
In separate remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Mrs. Ebele Mgbemena, and her counterpart from the Post Primary Schools Service Commission (PPSSC), Mrs. Bernadine Anagor, praised the Isingwu community for their unity and dedication to educational development.
They assured that students and qualified teachers would be deployed to the school in the 2025/2026 academic session and encouraged the community to remain actively involved in the school’s progress.
Delivering his address, Chief Godwin Ugochukwu, Chairman and President of the Isingwu Progressive Union, explained that the school was established to provide access to education for children in the community and surrounding areas.
“Having nurtured the school for three years, the community felt it was time to integrate it into the state’s education system for sustainable growth,” he added.
Chief Ugochukwu expressed hope that government takeover would bring about improvements in infrastructure, teacher quality, and digital learning tools, ultimately raising the academic standard of the school.
Hightlight of the event was the formal handover of the school to the Anambra State Government and a tour of the school facilities by the Ministry of Education’s delegation.
Obiageli is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
