The State Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Secondary School (ASUSS), Ondo State Chapter, Comrade Balogun Tajudeen, has commended the directive of the Ondo State government that, following the shortfall in the number of teachers in the Teaching Service, all Vice Principals in all public secondary schools in the state should go back to the classrooms to teach, saying that the directive is no big deal, as most Vice Principals had already been doing so before now.
Comrade Balogun stated this while speaking with PRESENT NEWSPAPER on Tuesday in his office in Akure.
“The directive is no big deal. This is what we have been doing before now. Take my humble self for example, I teach Animal Husbandry at Uso Grammar School, Uso, even as a Vice Principal and Chairman of ASUSS before the state government gave the directive.”
“We have to make use of experienced hands to inculcate sufficient knowledge into these students to make them great indeed.”
He however appealed to the government to go ahead with it’s planned recruitment of teachers into the Teaching Service saying that even if all the vice principals were to be teaching, it would still not be enough, as there is acute shortage of teachers in Secondary Schools across the state.
“Even if all the Vice Principals and Principals concentrate on teaching alone without administrative work, it will not be enough”, he added.
While calling on the government of Ondo State under the leadership of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to prioritize the payment of teachers’ salary to inspire them for more work as schools in Ondo State commence it’s second term academic activities, he commended Governor Akeredolu for the numerous infrastructural developments in the state especially in schools.
“Government should pay us our salaries as promised. He told us that workers will be paid promptly. We know that the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the economy, but notwithstanding, government should intensify efforts on the welfare of workers.”
Also, in his reaction to the cases of bullying in schools, he said bullying starts from the home when the strong ones usually intimidate the weak ones. He also stated that cases of bullying begin as a result of violent movies that students watch at home.
Balogun also identified cultism as another cause of bullying among students saying that cultism has spread to primary and secondary schools and that they operate with impunity.
He said since bullying is not limited to students saying that teachers were also being intimidated especially by some wealthy and influential parents. In this wise, he admonished parents to stop bullying teachers adding that it is unfortunate that many parents have been involved in this unwholesome practice in the presence of students.
He also called on the owners of private schools to install Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in their schools, so as to monitor their students in order to curtail unguided behaviors amongst them. Comrade Balogun also pointed out that government can also help by putting Officers of the Amotekun Corps to be stationed in public schools as this will checkmate insecurity drastically.
Finally, he charged parents to be alive to their responsibilities as their children and wards resume for the new academic term to make all their basic needs available.
Comrade Balogun also used the medium to call on students to show high level of dedication to their studies and not to be easily swayed by bad and negative influences that are common in the society today.
© PRESENT NEWSPAPER
