The Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Femi Akinwumi has charged the Headteachers of Public primary schools in the state to be more proactive in the course of sustaining the current achievements in the basic education sector by Governor Oyebanji – led administration.
Prof. Akinwumi dropped the charge during executive visits to the 16 Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) for interactive meetings with the headteachers towards improving the quality of basic education in the state.
The engagement was part of the routine continous monitoring exercise organized by the Department of Quality Assurance to ensure effective and qualitative teaching and learning process across all the public primary schools in the state.
He reiterated the commitment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji to the wellbeing of teachers through provision of incentives to endear them to the teaching profession and give them a platform to be at par with their counterparts in the core civil service, adding that the unprecedented life transforming packages being enjoyed by teachers are meant to give them a new lease of life of social and economic prosperity.
Prof. Akinwumi enumerated the welfare packages for teachers in the state which include regular promotion, car and housing loans, upgrade to grade level 16, regular trainings, pecuniary allowance and above all conducive and enabling environment to enhance their performance, stressing
that the governor has already approved the implementation of GL. 16 for primary school teachers effective from 2nd January, 2025.
The SUBEB boss who assured of government’s continued interventions, however emphasized the need for improved productivity among the teachers and therefore charged the Headteachers to collaborate with their Education Secretaries to ensure professionalism in the discharge of their duties, adding that to whom much is given much is required.
“Starting from now, we are embarking on strict monitoring of all the schools in the state to check performance, the government is doing its part to actualize the quality delivery of UBE objectives through Governor Biodun Oyebanji who has given you more than what you asked for to make you happy on this job, you have no reason not to perform.”
He urged the headteachers to always imbibe maintenance culture, fix little repairs in the infrastructures before deteriorating to bigger challenges, noting that once the government has provided the facilities, it is the duty of the school to secure and maintain them in order to ensure their durability.
“Any moment a nail or a single roofing sheet is removed, or damaged you must quickly fix it and not wait until the whole roof is removed, knowing that a stitch in time always saves nine” Akinwumi said.
He also advised them to maintain close alliance with the old students, PTAs and SBMCs of their respective schools for necessary interventions for the development of basic education, adding that their collaborations would also complement government’s efforts at ensuring continuous development.
Prof. Akinwumi who emphasized the importance of writing lesson notes which is pivotal to effective teaching and learning also call for provision of first aid box and create nature corner in the classrooms, urging for resuscitation of inter – house sports, open day, gardening and entrepreneurship in order to boost extra curriculum activities among the pupils, adding also that the headteachers must ensure overall neatness of the pupils.
Warning against illegal collection of fees, the SUBEB boss reechoed the order 001 of the state government policy which states that basic education in the state is free and compulsory and therefore urged the headteachers to abide by the rules and support the government on its enrolment drive and other strategies to end the Out Of School Children phenomenon.
Reacting, the headteachers who could not hide their joy thanked Governor Oyebanji for making their welfare one of the priorities of his administration, nevertheless they listed among their requests provision of Yoruba text books, digitization of lesson notes, construction of perimeter fence for schools that are not yet fenced, rural allowance for teachers in rural areas, and appointment of Headmaster General for each senatorial district in the state.
The SUBEB Chairman was accompanied on the visits which lasted for 3 days by the SUBEB Commissioner for Human Resource Management, Dr. Olufunke Fajobi, SUBEB Commissioner for Project Management, Barr. (Dr.) Kayode Adeoye as well as Directors in the Board.