The Oyo state government has tasked teachers in the state to justify its investment in the education sector through an improvement in student’s performance in external examinations.
In particular, teachers and school heads in Oyo state have been tasked to meet a target of 80 percent of her SS3 students having a minimum of credit passes in five subjects including English and Mathematics in WASSCE and NECO at one sitting.
Governor Seyi Makinde handed down this mandate in his message to a building workshop/training for principals and vice principals of public secondary schools organised by the Oyo state Post-Primary School Teaching Service Commission, held across zones of the state.
Expressing displeasure at the fallen standard of education in the state epitomised by the state ranking 26th in WASSCE, he noted a blend of the current re-positioning strategies of the state government and cooperation of teaching staff was bound to raise the education standard of the state.
Echoing the “to whom much is given, much is required” saying, Makinde urged school heads and teachers to justify government’s investments to include release of grants, increase in budgetary allocation to education, regular payment of salaries, approval of recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff, resolve to carry out regular training and retraining of teachers.
“We also know that education standard in Oyo state is poor. Currently, the state is ranked twenty-sixth judging by the performance of our final year students in WASSCE. While we invite students to come in, we are also focused on raising the standard of education in Oyo state.
“It is our vision to revitalize education in Oyo state, raising it above the storm, breaking the glass ceilings in order to clinch the zenith of standard education for Oyo state children and making it an enduring legacy.
“I invite you to join me in realizing our ultimate goal in the secondary school education system in Oyo state which is: to raise the standard of education in Oyo state to an enviable height and evident in achieving the target of a minimum of eighty percent of our SS3 students scoring a minimum of credit passes in five subjects including English and Mathematics in WASSCE and NECO SSCE at one sitting,” Makinde said.
He however warned school heads against fraudulent acts such as illegal collection of abolished fees, illegal and unauthorized admission of students into terminal classes, collection of bribes such as “appreciation fee” for promotion to the post of vice principal and principal by some fraudulent TESCOM zonal officers.
In his remarks, Chairman, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Oyo state, Mr Akinade Alamu noted the training was in recognition of the fact that improving teachers’ competence will translate into better students’ performance.
Alamu held that insufficient skills by most teachers usually reflected in poor performance of students in external examinations hence government’s resolve to create a better teaching and learning environment.
“No education system can rise above the quality of teachers in the system. The decline in the quality of education cannot be ignored by anyone who is aware of the significant role of education as an instrument of social transformation and development. Thus there is the need to focus on teachers’ adequacy and competence, since the success of students will always depend largely on the amount of learning that take place in the classrooms,” Alamu said.
One of the resource persons, Mr Ademola Adebayo advocated for the incorporation of technology into teaching, especially use of interactive whiteboards or mobile devices to enable students visualize new academic concepts.
While urging government to encourage teachers to attend workshops, trainings, Ademola urged teachers without teaching qualification to, as a matter of urgency, enroll for PGDE or B.Ed.
The event saw other resource persons like Dr Olugbenga Faseluka remind teachers of their guiding principles to include upholding professionalism, living within their means, not exploiting their students, being examples for their students in their dressing, manners and speaking, not revealing examination questions and being punctual to school and their classes.
Credit: The Nigerian Tribune
