Consolidate on your achievements, education stakeholders task FG
By Josephine Oguntoyinbo & Bukunmi Olubo
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Following the re-election of President Mohammadu Buhari for a second term in office few weeks ago, education stakeholders in Ondo State have charged the Federal Government to use the next four years to consolidate on its previous performance and also formulate favourable policies in the sector.
They gave the charge in separate interviews with The Hope.
The principal of Ijo Mimo Oluwa High School, Mr James Omotayo advised the Federal Government to improve on infrastructure and curriculum development in schools at all levels, as well as ensure that more qualified subject teachers are employed.
According to him, “Government should focus more on infrastructural development, as many schools buildings have become old. The Federal Government can encourage the states to employ more teachers as well”.
“More libraries and laboratories should be built in schools to aid teaching and learning while teachers should be motivated and carried along. Many people do not want to stay in the teaching line, we need more manpower in schools. Teachers welfare should be prioritized, while education should be given more attention to further strengthen the system”, he said.
The principal however advised teachers to see teaching profession as a humanitarian job and be contented. “We must be happy with what we are doing in order to do the job well. We must at all times improve ourselves and keep abreast of new method of teaching”.
Corroborating the principal’s words, a private school teacher, Mr Sunkanmi Kolawole advised government to adequately fund education and solve the problem of inadequate personnel in schools.
Kolawole who noted that government should supervise fund released to schools for proper execution of projects, posited that the menace of examination malpractice should be urgently addressed.
Also speaking, a public school teacher, Mrs Ronke Orimoloye advised government to come up with new mode of teaching that will impact more on students, adding that more educationists should be recruited, especially in public schools.
Orimoloye however commended the free meal initiative in some states, but called on the government to improve on remuneration of teachers.
“I still disapprove the meagre remuneration of teachers. Also, the evaluation system of our students should be increased”, she averred.
An undergraduate, Ayo Babajide enjoined government to increase the budgetary allocation to the education sector and find lasting solution to the incessant strikes in the sector.
“Buhari’s administration did its bit in terms of seeing to the welfare of staff in universities, but government should invest more in the sector”, he emphasized.
