Bayelsa State Government has said plans are underway to make the teaching and learning of Ijaw, French and Chinese languages a priority in public schools.

It said science and mathematics would also be prioritised.

Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made this known yesterday during a visit by the state chapter of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), at the Government House in Yenagoa.

He said government was emphasising the teaching of the three languages, and the core science subjects, including mathematics, to prepare and equip children to take advantage of career opportunities in the subjects.

The deputy governor said the growing economic influence of China in global affairs as a major state actor in world trade and commerce, justified the inclusion of Chinese as a subject in the curriculum.

Sen. Ewhrudjakpo said:  “I am happy about the programme you are introducing. For us, we have made it compulsory; we are pursuing STEM because we believe with this, the negative impression of Bayelsa State will change sooner or later.Stay

“We will really be available for anything you want us to do from the government angle. As I told you earlier, in our teachers’ recruitment, we deliberately laid emphasis on science, ICT and mathematics.

“We are recruiting more teachers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, agric science and computer science. The other subjects we are placing priority are: Chinese, French and Ijaw languages.”

The deputy governor, who urged APWEN members to make team work their watchword to achieve their objectives as a professional body, advised them to also include male students in their programmes.

He said engineering career required a lot of hard work for one to be awarded fellowship, enjoining the association to work together in closer synergy to gain more visibility in the male-dominated profession.

He advised APWEN to redouble its effort in marketing engineering to the girl-child at the secondary school level for more female pupils to embrace and develop interest in engineering as a course and profession.

He thanked the national and state executive councils of APWEN for honouring him with awards in recognition of his contributions to the growth and development of engineering in the state and country.

Ewhrudjakpo noted: “For everything you are committed to do, do it as much as you can. I always tell people to be paced, to be prayerful, have a positive attitude, courageous, put in effort, and to be determined.

“Your profession is one that requires a lot of hard work. For you to be inducted as a fellow, real hard work is required in this profession, unlike politics where anybody is given any position.

“Once you are not together as a team you will fail. Together everyone achieves more. This is what team work is all about. Nobody is an island; a tree standing alone can’t make a forest. I want you to continue to work as a team.”

The state Chairman of APWEN, Mr. Diepreye Owana-Omubo, and the Vice Chairman, Dr. Ann Obuebite, said the association was doing everything to push its corporate social responsibility project aimed at introducing the girl-child to engineering at the basic education level.

They hailed the state government for establishing more technical colleges and recruiting science and mathematics teachers to promote science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the state.

Obuebite thanked the deputy governor for his support to the Bayelsa State chapter of APWEN, which had helped it to gain a lot of recognition and prominence at the national level.(THE NATION)