Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has announced free education for all pupils in public schools, from nursery to senior secondary school, as part of his administration’s efforts to provide access to quality education for all children.

During a meeting with head teachers and school principals in Awka, Soludo stated that students who had already paid their first-term fees would be refunded, declaring that every child in public schools was now on full scholarship.

The governor emphasized that the policy aims to support the poorest in society, ensuring that all children have equal access to functional and qualitative education. Education Commissioner, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, praised the initiative as unprecedented in the state, noting that Governor Soludo’s administration had also hired over 8,000 teachers and reconstructed schools to improve learning conditions.

Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Education Chair, Hon. Anayo Okpalaeke, lauded Soludo for extending the free education initiative from JSS3 to SSS3, describing it as a step towards leveling the playing field for children from poor families. The Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) also pledged to help spread awareness about the new policy across the state’s 179 communities.