The Chairman of Oyo State Post Primary School’s Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Pastor Akinade Alamu, has disclosed that the state government has released a sum of N250 million as school grant to run the activities of secondary schools in the state.
Pastor Alamu, made the disclosure at the opening of a two-day training workshop, organised for secondary school principals in Ibadan zones one, two, three and four by the commission in collaboration with Education Advancement Centre (EAC), held at the Ibadan Grammar School’s Emmanuel Alayande Hall on May 6 and 7 respectively.
The training marked the sixth in the series that had also been held in other locations of the state namely; Oyo, Saki, Ogbomoso, Eruwa and Iseyin.
The theme of the two-day training was ‘Strategic Leadership for School Transformation and Outstanding Performance.’
Speaking further about the N250 million grant, the TESCOM chairman said it is the balance of the third term of the last academic session and the full payment of the one for the first term.
He confirmed that the money had been paid to the bank for onward disbursement to all principals for the smooth running of the secondary schools’ affairs in the state, which include: conduction of terminal examinations, purchasing of teaching aids, management of minor repairs in schools, paying of security personnel and expenses for other relevant services and activities in the schools.
While he commended the state government for its promptness toward the delivery of quality education in the state, he said, “this is not a one-off event; it is a continuous exercise. We expect our principals to use the money judiciously to ensure that the purpose for which the money is released is achieved.”
Speaking about the programme, the chairman said training and retraining of teachers have now become a continuous exercise in the state and that the governor on a yearly basis approves money for the cause.
He noted that the workshop organised by the commission for school principals in Ibadan, will also see the training of Science Teachers in secondary schools also from all the four zones at the same venues as it was in other locations.
While he encouraged teachers in the state to reciprocate the gesture of Governor Seyi Makinde by working hard, he said “there is no more fear in retirement anymore. For those who are about to retire, do not exercise any fear whatsoever.
“When you retire now, you are in money because your gratuity will be paid almost immediately and you will get your pension which is almost the same as your salary. We have every cause to be grateful to God and the governor of Oyo State.”
Imploring the participants to approach the training with open mind and collaborative spirit he said, “I urge you to be conscious of the fact that much has been given and much is also expected from you as principals of secondary school.”
He also charged them to make the ongoing West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to be hitch-free and void of examination malpractice saying, “let our students conduct themselves very well, don’t allow a situation where they all sit together and copy themselves under the guise of assisting them to pass.”
In his closing remarks at the workshop on Tuesday, Pastor Alamu disclosed that the governor has approved and signed the full integration of the seconded teachers in schools, just as he has agreed to recruit more teachers in the state.
“The governor said he is awaiting our memo on the recruitment of more teachers in Oyo State. He gave us the assurance that he knows the condition of our secondary and primary schools and that in the next three year, no school will be left without a fence in the state,” he said.
While he enjoined the teachers, to go back to their schools and impact others, he said “I have no doubt that whatever you have learnt in the course of this workshop will bring you to the desired level of competence on your job; it is also your gain for life. So, back and gather your teachers and transfer the knowledge which you have gained into them as the trainers who have been trained.”
He expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for his special interest in education, which he said had been evident in building the capacities of education managers/handlers of secondary education in Oyo State for the attainment of greater competencies in their duties.
“TESCOM is committed to the vision of the present administration to ensure that the state post primary schools operate at the highest level,” he said.
He emphasised also that TESCOM is not a party to any illegal collection of money regarding the release of the promotion letters that are currently being served to teachers who have been upgraded to level 17.
“We have been receiving information that some people are collecting money before releasing letters of promotion to their teachers. We did not collect any money from anyone when conducting the interviews. We are taking up the issue with the tutor-general of the zones where such is happening. Let it be known here today that we were not in support of any illegal collection of money in that regard,” he stressed.
He, therefore, solicited the continued support of the secondary school principals under the aegis of All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Public Schools (ANCOPPS) in the state to TESCOM, saying “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
In his remarks at the training, the permanent secretary of TESCOM, represented by Mr Victor Adesola, said “teachers today are confronted with arrays of challenges and opportunities, from adapting the rapidly evolving technologies to addressing the diverse needs of the student body, yet amidst these challenges lies immense potential for innovation and transformation.
He urged the participants to embrace the opportunity to unlearn and relearn, share experiences and to glean insights that would empower them to serve the students better, community and nation at large.
The guest lecturer at the training, Professor Francis Egbokhare from the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan, who spoke on the topic, ‘Redefining the Future of Education in Oyo: Taking the Principal on a Visionary Dream.’ tasked the participants to have visions for their respective schools and to pursue them with every sense of commitment in order to bring them to fruition.
While speaking on the topics, ‘Leveraging Technology to Enhance Learning in Secondary School’’ and Developing Effective Team,’ the CEO of, Education Advancement Centre, Bodija, Ibadan, Rev Muyiwa Bamgbose said for effective teaching and learning to take place schools today, they must be enhanced with technology, hence the need for education handlers themselves to be technology savvy.
He charged the school managers to develop team spirit in order to raise good teams of teachers in their various schools, saying “no man is an island or a custodian of all knowledge, therefore be open to new ideas from other members of your team as no one is useless.”
Other topics covered by other facilitators at the workshop include: ‘Enhancing well-being in our schools: A guide for principals,’ ‘Building bridges by engaging community and external support for school development’ and ‘Enhancing financial management skill for school principals.’
Evaluating the training at the closing ceremony, the school principals under the aegis of ANCOPPS’ noted that the lectures were practical and highly relevant to improving and enhancing the performances of principals in the public schools.
While stating that the training workshop would have been more appropriate if it came up at the inception of an academic session, they promised to maximise the benefits of the training by putting into practise all that were taught at the workshop in their various schools to effect positive changes as well as effective learning outcomes.
They recommended that training and retraining of principals and other teachers in different cadres should become regular, just as they solicited for a more conducive environment and better treatment.
The appreciated Governor Seyi Makinde for having proven himself over and over again as a dynamic, efficient and empathetic leader and for placing high premium on academic excellence in Oyo State
They also thanked the chairman of TESCOM, Pastor AkinadeAlamu and his team for their commitment to the vision of the present administration in ensuring that the state’s post primary schools operate at the highest level of service delivery that would inspire the students, teachers and all stakeholders.
In their comments at the end of the training, the trio of MrsOluwafolakemi Oladejo, a vice principal, from Community Grammar School(Zone 4), Mr Oladele Oluseyi Isaac also a vice principal from Iwokoto Community Grammar School, Akinyele LG, and Mrs Adekunle Aremu, a principal at Community Grammar School, Ring Road Ibadan (Zone1) who spoke on behalf of others said the training workshop was an eye opener, apt and timely as they were being engaged by the seasoned resource persons and professionals.
They promised to be change agents in their various schools.
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