Anambra State G o v e r n o r Charles Soludo is transforming 22 secondary schools into smart schools as part of his effort to revamp the education sector.

The schools will be spread across the 21 local government areas through the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) programme with the approval of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC).

In a statement, the Commissioner for Information Law Mefor said Soludo’s administration will continue to strengthen the free education policy and enhance existing programmes toward providing quality education.

He said the state has extended its free education policy up to Senior Secondary School Year 3 (SS3) and recruited an additional 3,115 teachers, increasing the number to 8,115.

It has equipped 60 secondary school laboratories with the required Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) equipment.

It has also increased the operational budgets for primary and secondary schools to ensure they can deliver the quality education promised, among other initiatives.

Soludo said: “By 2025, we plan to make significant investments in education so that our students and teachers will smile like never before.

“We will also continue to support mission schools, especially the returned mission schools. “Our subsidies to mission schools help to reduce the cost of primary and secondary education to parents.”