Soliu Owoyabu, Abeokuta
The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers Ogun State wing, Comrade Akinola Abiodun has tasked the teachers in the state to be good resources and mentors that students can look up to.
Akinola stated this on Wednesday at the Celebration of World Teachers' day with the theme "The Transformation of Education begins with Teachers held at MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta Ogun State capital.
He added that the Teaching profession needs committed effort to achieve its aims and objectives. And the future of education requires their collective efforts.
He also commended the state government's efforts at training and retraining teachers and recruiting more teachers, however, highlighted some of Governor Dapo Abiodun's achievements in education.
He, however, urged the government to address the disparity in salaries between primary and secondary school teachers, while efforts should be made by stakeholders including traditional rulers, and religious bodies, among others to address the issue of out-of-school children.
"Teaching transcends the wall of our classroom, so we must be a good resource for our students that they can depend on. Be good support for the future generation, let them see us as a good mentor that they can look up to, and extend a helping hand to the system for our collective
educational goals in the State to be achieved.
"Let me on this note state some of His Excellency's achievements which are feasible while you count for me;
Upgrading and re-categorizing of schools which brought about 42 flagship schools for better
performance and productivity.
Training and retraining of Teachers including overseas training.
Pardoning witch-hunted labour leaders in the State.
Resuscitating of the office of Principal General / Headteacher General with Permanent
Secretary status.
Approving four plots of land as compensation for our Union demolished structures.
Increase in running cost for Public Primary and Secondary Schools.
Introduction of Ogun Digi Class during the Covid-19 pandemic and sustaining it.
Cancellation of compulsory levy and permitting voluntary contribution through parents’
forum.
Increase in feeding allowance for learners in special needs schools.
Creation of Ogun State Intervention Fund to formalize the input of other Stakeholders in education.
Appointment of Ogun Teach Interns that are potential Permanent Teachers in the State.
Approval for the autonomy of the State Agency for mass education.
Purchase of brand new buses for ANCOPSS/AOPSHON and NUT.
Investing and supporting extracurricular activities like sporting which produced the like of Tobi Amusan (world record holder), Akanbi Aderonke that broke 33 years of national record and Gbolahan Azeez that won 18 medals out of 24 National Jet Competition for the State.
Allowing the policy of adopting a school model to function maximally is now yielding results across the State.
Improve in Curriculum Design, School Management, Technological Innovation (Ogun State Revitalization Agenda), Teachers and Student Welfare, Revenue Funding.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has described teachers as career moulders, mentors and national builders who sacrifice all their possible efforts to produce diverse professionals for the Nation.
"No doubt, these peculiar people deserve to be celebrated. We should celebrate them every day and not just for one day that the global body has set aside like today. Let me on behalf of all of us - the government and the entire people of Ogun State - join all men and women of goodwill all over the world to thank very heartily and congratulate very warmly our teachers on the celebration of yet another Teachers’ Day.
"Education is the bedrock of any meaningful socio-political and economic development. As a foundation for scientific, and technological enrichment and the advancement of any society, no Nation can become great without the positive contributions of its teachers. The future of any Nation is usually determined by the quality of its education system and how it treats teachers.
Abiodun also offered employment to the wife of late Mr Sunday Ogunjimi, a teacher in Odeda Local Government Area who slumped and passed away while attending a welfare meeting involving members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state on Friday, July.
Tajudeen Odufeso from Isara Secondary School, Isara- Remo, was given a two-bedroom bungalow as the Best Teacher in Public Senior Secondary Schools, while Adelana Owolabi and Orebanjo Olusesan from Ijebu Muslim College (Junior) and Early Education Centre, Ijebu-Igbo, got N2m and N1.5m for emerging Best Teachers in Public Junior Secondary Schools and Public Primary Schools, respectively.
Mr Fagbamila Olatunbosun Okeneye from Omo Edumare Model Nursery and Primary School, Ago-Iwoye, carted home a sum of N1m as the Best Administrator in the Public Primary Schools category.
In the school category, Remo Divisional High School (Senior), Sagamu and St. Michael's African Church School 1, Ota, won Best Public Secondary School (Senior) and Best Public Primary School, respectively.
The governor disclosed that his administration was in the process of supplying 25,000 furniture to all public primary and secondary schools, renovating over 956 classrooms in primary and secondary schools, while approval has been given for the commencement of the Ogun Digitalized Multimedia Lesson Plan, where the teachers would be equipped with the wherewithal resources for effective delivery.
While appreciating the teachers for their dedication to duties and being at the forefront of achieving his administration's agenda in the education sector, Abiodun charged them to be more innovative and embrace modern teaching methods, assuring that their welfare would not be jettisoned.
In his welcome address, The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu said the theme of this year's celebration is in tandem with the incumbent administration's agenda to reposition the education sector for effectiveness and efficiency, adding that the state government was glad to identify with the teachers in celebrating their day.
On his part, the State Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) Comrade Akeem Lasisi, commended the state government for abolishing all forms of levies in the public schools and urged the government to be ready to spend more money on education, while the allowance for teachers serving in the rural areas should be increased.
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