Welfare,Infrastructure, Recruitment, Others Resonate as Ondo ASUSS Celebrates Teachers’Day
11 October, 2021
By Dupson Collins
In what look like endless demand from the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in Ondo State, the leadership of the union, Comrade Tajudeen Balogun has intimated the government of various challenges facing secondary school teachers, appealing to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to look in their direction.
He made the appeal in his opening address marking the 2021 World Teachers Day held at the union’s permanent site, Imafon, Ondo State.
World Teachers’ Day is held yearly on October 5 to celebrate teachers around the globe, commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding their rights and responsibilities, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions.
The theme for the year’s anniversary was ” Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery”.
The ASUSS Chairman said the refrain that teachers reward is in heaven only signify that no quality of financial remuneration would be commensurate with the burden that rests on teachers shoulders.
He said inspite of challenges facing teachers in the state, there is need to commends the governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on his giant strides in education sector since assumed office.
In his words, ” Part of the recent giant strides worth mentioning includes renovation of schools, provision of Science and Laboratory equipments, regular promotion of teachers, granting of car loans to teachers, sustaining the office of Tutors-General, championing the fight against insecurity among others”.
Reeling out pressing demands that need government urgent attention, the chairman appealed to the governor to look in the directions of school yet to be renovated, provision of infrastructure, recruitment of more teachers, appointment of more Tutors-General, restoration of Grade Level 17 for teachers, constitution of the Teaching Service Commission Board for more effective management of schools and teachers welfare.
Comrade Balogun went further that government should take bold step in the implementation of the elongation of service years of teachers from 35 to 40 years and 60 to 65 years for retirement by age and length of service.
He also asked Governor Akeredolu to return the free shuttle buses back to roads for conveying students, regular release of running grants to schools, mopping of leftovers from the promotion exercise of the 2020 among other demands.
He thanked members of the union and officers at various levels for their support towards the consruction of the union’s permanent secretariat despite the tight economic situation in the country.
In his goodwill message, the Governor of Ondo State represented by the Head of Service, Mr Niran Adeyemo assured the teachers of improved salaries, recruitment of more teachers, renovations and construction of building in secondary in 2022 , training and retraining of teachers among others.
On his part, Mr Dare Aragbaiye, Special Adviser to the Governor Akeredolu on Unions Matter and Special Duties congratulates the teachers for a successful programme, charging them to always look into the future of the profession.
The guest speaker, Dr Adedayo Afe, a Reader from Adekunle Ajasin University spoke on the anniversary theme, noting that only teachers are well placed to recover the loss glory of education in the country.
The chairman of the occasion, Comrade Ade Adefemisoye congratulates teachers for their selfless services to education sector, adding that teachers is expected to be a paragon of their trade if they are going to have a profound impact in the education recovery.
He frowned at the exemption of teachers in private schools from the yearly celebration, asking the leadership of teachers in public school to laise with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) so as to incorporate all teachers in the next year celebration.
Also in attendance was the State Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Helen Odofin, she commended the teachers who she described as the moulder of every profession, adding that Nigeria government should celebrate teachers while still alive.
The climax of the event was award presentation to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Lola Amuda and Mrs Tolulope Adeyemi, Permanent Secretary, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM)
