Ondo State Government has commended teachers in public primary schools for being punctual at their duty posts and living up to expectations as pupils resumed on Monday for the second term of 2022/2023 academic session across the state.
After completing on-the-spot assessment of resumption activities in selected schools across the state, the Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Mr Victor Olabimtan said at the Mega Primary School, Owo that, prior the commencement of the new school term, the Board had approved the composition of four monitoring teams to undertake on-the-spot assessment of resumption activities in some schools in nine of the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
Team -1 was led by Olabimtan himself, Team -2 by FTM -2, Team -3 by Princess Funmilayo Ademulegun-Brown the FTM -1, and the last team led by UBEC’s state coordinator, Mrs Olanike Adams.
Olabimtan, who was impressed by the earnest commencement of teaching and neatness of the environment at most of the schools visited, appealed to parents and guardians to release their children and wards to come to schools as works had begun in earnest.
According to him, parents and guardians must realise that the teaching profession has advanced beyond the yesteryear of lackadaisical attitude and is now more result oriented. He said that parents must know that right from the first day of resumption classes had begun and that their wards are losing out by not being in school.
The Chairman, who was not happy with the poor turn out of students, said that keeping the children at home or farms until it is convenient for them is not good for their upbringing.
To address the malfeasance, Olabimtan directed all the headmasters in the State to immediately commence the conduct of test and the result must be part of the continuous assessment for the term.
According to him, news would get to those at home and the farm that classes had began, test conducted and they are losing out. This, he said, would have a positive effect on the attendance in schools from Monday.
He reiterated the commitment of the present administration to the growth and development of basic education sector, and appealed to parents and guardians to continue to patronise public primary schools because it is their project.
Olabimtan said that the fact is uncontroverted that no private school in the state can boost of the quality of teaching and non-teaching personnel in public primary schools, including the learning environment.
According to him the Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu administration, like its predecessors have invested a lot of public funds to upgrade the basic education sector, especially primary schools to make teaching and learning more attractive.
He said the that Board, under his leadership, would continue to do its best to build on the existing legacies to make the basic education sector the best in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Chief Dele Akinnagbe, and the Director of School Services, Mr Adesoji Okedusi said the Board would do its best to address the challenges of infrastructure deficits identified in the schools visited.
