3 January 2009
Kogi — Kogi State Government has said it would establish additional science secondary schools to the existing 18 and employ more qualified teachers to help salvage the declining quality of education.
Governor Ibrahim Idris said this at a two-week seminar on Educational Administration and Managerial Skills for principals, vice principals of secondary schools and managerial staff of the ministry and its parastatal agencies.
The governor, who spoke through his Deputy, Dr Philip Salawu, said though a lot had been achieved in the area of infrastructure, rehabilitation and standardisation of tertiary institutions, secondary schools were lagging behind.
"The development at the secondary school level is particularly disturbing and frightening, teaching and learning standards have fallen at this level," he lamented.
Idris attributed the development to lack of commitment on the part of teachers, saying that teachers were no longer familiar with their tools of trade and paid less attention to quality of their teaching.
He said most of them use poor language in instructing their students, "who depend on them for their own language development. They also accommodate objectionable attitudes, which mislead our children".
The governor also blamed the teachers for "the rather resilient examination malpractice disease" through the "mindless assistance" they give to the students.
Idris wondered why the teachers, as products of qualitative education system in their days, "have now chosen to live without reference to the past".
He added that "it is indeed a very sad commentary on the part of the out-going generation."
He, however, implored the teachers and all stakeholders in the education industry to join hands with government in the bid to leave behind, a worthy legacy in the educational development of the state.
Addressing the teachers, a one-time Minister of State for Education and team leader, Dr Grace Oguche, said to attain effective schools administration, teachers must be neat and presentable in appearance always.
She also said they must have good command of the language and be courteous and generous rather than engaging in unfettered display of poverty.
The state Commissioner for Education, Chief Sylvester Onoja, called on stakeholders in the education industry including "parents, teachers, proprietors, communities, old boys associations to unite and revamp the sector.
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