School board appreciates headteachers

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

THE end of year party for head teachers of public primary schools in Lagos State held Monday was their red carpet event for the year.

Beyond being an annual event by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) to appreciate their hard work managing the state’s 1,016 public primary schools, it provided opportunity for the head teachers to reconnect with old friends who once worked together as teachers in the same school; and interact with government functionaries in charge of education in the state.

The head teachers who were mostly women, turned up at the Grandeur event centre, Oregun, dressed to their nines in lace fabrics and aso-oke colour-coded according to their Local Government Education Authority (LGEA).  Each LGEA dressed to out-do the other.  Many  jettisoned the traditional iro and buba styles more popular with older women for chic skirts and blouse/gown styles.

It turned out that they had been planning for their attire the entire year.

Head Teacher of Maharuf-deen Primary School, Bariga, Somolu, Mrs Morayo Adebao, said the teachers  contributed monthly towards purchasing the clothes.

“We want to look kinky.  We don’t want the young ones to push us out.  We have been contributing from the beginning of the year.  The fabric cost N20,000, while the gele (head tie) cost N6,000. When we went to Lagos for the fabric, we asked the colour that was trending and were told emerald,” said Mrs. Adebayo.

Another head teacher, Mrs. Grace Ekunniyi of Salvation Army Primary School, Ilogbo Eremu , Badagry, said the fabric for Badagry LGEA cost N15,000.

“We contributed N1,500 monthly for about 10 months.  We normally plan for it because we know it is coming,” she said.

Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos Wing, Adedoyin Adesina, thanked the Lagos SUBEB for organizing the programme yearly, and carrying teachers along in its decision making process.

“I thank the Board for their open door policy and consultation.  The issues we have been pursuing about the non-teaching staff that the qualified ones among them be converted to teaching staff, which they have approved for us,” he said.

In his remarks, chairman, Lagos SUBEB, Wahab Alawiye-King, thanked the teachers for their hard work.

“All the successes we have recorded in our schools in the course of the year are predominantly du to your commitment and hard work,” he said.

The Chairman said the head teachers had a crucial role to play in the success of the state’s EkoEXCEL technology-based initiative as they would serve as monitors and evaluators.

“EkoEXCEL just started and the most important thing for the head teacher is to be able to monitor and evaluate the programme from time to time.  They have different ways of monitoring.  They will not use the summation appraisal at the end of the programme; they would do a continuous assessment.  When you do that you see the result from time to time and you can make changes,” he said.