Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has described teachers as major stakeholders in the drive towards nation-building, adding that government policies in the education sector cannot succeed without the unflinching support and cooperation of teachers.
Fayemi who stated this at the 2020 World Teacher’s Day celebration, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Monday, urged the teachers to brace up for the tasks of rebuilding the school system which had been under lockdown in the last six months.
The governor reinstated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of teachers as well as students, said the outbreak of the coronavirus earlier in the year was responsible for the slight delay in the issuance of letters of employment to newly recruited teachers in the state.
He, however, said that applicants that had already been interviewed would collect their letters soon.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to pursue compulsory, functional, basic and free education to ensure that all school-age children are in school in accordance with the mandate of the National Policy on Education Law.
According to him, “I also commend you all for your immense contributions to nation-building. I know quite well that policies in the education sector cannot succeed without the unflinching support and cooperation of teachers. It will not be an overstatement for me to say that all of us have enjoyed the mentorship and benefitted immensely from the services of a teacher to attain our present status in life.
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“In light of this, our government recognizes the critical roles of teachers in the development of the education sector in Ekiti state. We will keep putting every measure in place towards empowering teachers, improving and professionalising teaching through the activities of the Teaching Service Commission and the State Universal Basic Education Board.
“We are not unmindful of the importance of quality education to manage the socio-political and economic challenges being encountered by society. A good and dutiful teacher is not just a person who teaches academic lessons, rather, he is the one who mentors and helps the learner in each sphere of his life.”
The highlight of the event was the presentation of checks of N400,000 each to the best teachers in the primary and secondary school categories, among other prizes and promises to the teachers. The beneficiaries are Mr Abiodun Olukayode of AUD Pilot Nursery and Primary School, Ado Ekiti and Mr Owoeye Femi Samuel of St. Augustine Comprehensive High School, Oye Ekiti.
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