The Nation Newspaper

Tag: teachers

  • Ogun promotes 5,864 teachers, others

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has approved the promotion of 5,624 teachers under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for 2015.

    A statement by the Acting Board Secretary, SUBEB, Adesoji Adewuyi, said 240 non-teaching staff across the 20 local government education authorities were also promoted.

    He said over N64.6 million was approved for teaching and non-teaching staff as end of year bonus.

    The SUBEB Chairman, Olatunde Okewole, according to the statement, said the gestures were proofs of government’s commitment to quality basic education.

    Promising the beneficiaries that they would get their letters of promotion soon, he urged them to be dedicated and re-double their efforts at improving the quality of teaching and service delivery.

  • Teachers vs DSS

    Teachers vs DSS

    Last week, some Department of State Services (DSS) operatives invaded the neighbouring Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Calabar, the Cross River State capital. They were said to have stormed the school because a teacher flogged a pupil whose aunt works with the DSS. The teachers are demanding justice, reports NICHOLAS KANU from Calabar.

    A few blocks separate them and until last week, they were good neighbours. But now, things have fallen apart between the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Calabar, the Cross River State capital, and the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The relationship  became strained following the alleged brutalisation of some teachers, the seizure and damage of the school’s property by some security operatives.

    On Tuesday, the teachers under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), stormed the Cross River State House of Assembly to protest the alleged maltreatment of some of them by DSS operatives because of an SS3 pupil, Grace Loveth-Asuquo.

    The incident occurred last Thursday when a Civic Education teacher, Mr Owai Owai, gave some SS3 pupils two strokes of the cane on their palms for punishing a junior girl while classes were on. Grace reported the matter to her mother whose sister works with the DSS.

    Owai said: “The girl in question is in SS 3F. I was going to teach SS 2F when I met a junior pupil sweeping SS3F classroom. So, I asked them who asked the junior pupil to sweep the class, because I always warn them not to use juniors to clean their classes because the juniors have their own classes and still have to attend their lessons. I decided to punish the whole class by giving them two strokes of the cane each on their palms.

    “The girl was not the only one that I flogged. After that I left and went to SS2F to teach. I had just finished my first two lessons and went to SS3E to continue with my third and fourth periods when all of a sudden the mother and aunty, who works with the DSS and another unidentified man walked into the classroom and started flogging me with my cane in front of the pupils. When my colleagues who heard what was going on intervened to stop them, they pulled me out of the class and continued beating me. The man told me to my face that he would have just killed me silently and nothing would happen.

    “Because of the intervention of the teachers, the aunty called for a reinforcement of DSS operatives. Of course we are neighbours, just a few blocks away and they came in three Hilux vans. They were at least 15 fully armed men. By then some other teachers had whisked me into hiding else I don’t know if I would be alive talking to you. I heard how they came here and were beating people up and shooting indiscriminately.”

    Another teacher, who did not want to be named, continued: “After Mr  Owai was taken away to safety, the DSS in three Hilux vans and fully armed entered the school and started beating up people randomly. They were beating teachers up, both male and female. When they noticed that the gate had been locked, they went to the gate and shot severally. You can see the bullet holes yourself. They destroyed the lock on the gate. When they were done with shooting sporadically and beating staff up inside the school compound, they now carried the girl and left. The girl has since been expelled.

    “We are under the Ministry of Education. They have been given a comprehensive report on what happened and we believe that they will take appropriate actions to address the matter.”

    The teacher said it was not the first time security agents would invade the school.

    “In fact, just the day before, on Wednesday, something similar happened. The day before a senior  pupil punished a junior colleague for not doing morning duty and the junior called her elder sister who is a student of the University of Calabar. The sister came here with 11 girls and a soldier to cause trouble. Fortunately, they did not see the senior pupil they came for, else who knows what would have happened. After we threatened to call the Brigade Commander over the incident, the soldier just left with the girls without incident.

    “To be honest, even now, we are not too sure of ourselves. We don’t know the next line of action. Our safety is not really guaranteed. The relevant authorities should live up to expectations. All of us cannot be carrying guns. We use this opportunity to ask the government to do something about the porousness of the school – it is not fenced.”

    Mr John Ndarake, a Further Mathematics teacher, who was allegedly brutalised, narrated his experience.

    “My jaw and wrist were broken in the incident. I was just coming from class when I met the scene. I tried to ask what the problem was to quell the situation, and the next thing, the DSS operatives descended on me. One of the women with them said she was going to burn the school. They used the gun butt and broke my jaw, which as you can see is swollen and my wrist. I had to go for an X-ray and I will be getting the results today to proceed with treatment.”

    Mr Uguru Kalu, an Agricultural Science teacher, also alleged he was manhandled and injured.

    An elderly female teacher, who did not want to be named, claimed her phone was seized for taking photographs of the incident.

    “I was taking pictures of the incident when they descended on me. They pinned me down, dragged and collected my phone and bag. I lost N80, 000 from my bag on that day. The bag and phone were later returned. The bag had been damaged and they deleted all the pictures from my phone. All I ask is that justice be done. That is our only hope. We carry chalk and teach. We are harmless. Instead of security agents to protect us, they rather come here to kill us. As I speak with you I am still having body pains due to the manhandling I received.

    Another teacher, who did not want to be named said: “We, as teachers, have not been fairly treated. Is it because we don’t have money? In spite of all the efforts we put in, we do not even get recognition in the society and on top of that we get this kind of treatment. Is there anyone that was not taught by a teacher?

    ‘’Coming to a school and beating teachers up and shooting sporadically, is that what security agencies should be doing? Treating teachers like common criminals. It is so sad. Imagine if a child was shot and killed on that day, so the parents would just be in their house and hear that the child that they sent to study had been killed in the school compound by security agents. Something must be done about this.”

    ASCSN Chairman Comrade Ogunyemi Akinwunmi said the union would protest until its members got justice.

    “As a union we have written a petition to our national headquarters in Lagos. The union is not taking this lightly. Our slogan is injury to one is injury to all. If we don’t tackle this now, we don’t know where it would happen next. We want the world to know what happened here. It would not be swept under the carpet. Even though the Ministry is doing something, the union cannot just sit. We cannot be teaching their children and they are beating us up,” he said.

    Speaking on the incident, one of Grace’s classmates (names withheld), who ordered the junior pupil to sweep the classroom, said Grace had complained that she was not in the good books of the teacher.

    “I was the one that called the SS1 pupil to sweep the classroom. I begged her to help us sweep the classroom. So, when I saw Mr Owai, I was scared because he had warned us against it.  When he came in and asked who told the junior pupil to come, I said I. He flogged me and told the whole class to kneel down and then went on to flog everyone in the class.  The girl affected was saying she was not feeling well; maybe, the way she spoke made him angry and he flogged her again.  I don’t know if she called her mother.That is what I witnessed.  The teacher left our classroom after that,” she said.

    A pupil of SS3E, who was there when the DSS officer came in, said: “We were in the classroom when one man who we did not know came and was shouting. He said he wanted to see the teacher who flogged the pupil and when he was shown him, he brought a cane and flogged the teacher.  He was with two other women. Other teachers intervened and took the matter outside where we did not see what was going on again.  Later on, we heard some gunshots.”

    When The Nation contacted the DSS for comments, an official who did not want to be named, denied the teachers’ claims of brutalisation. He said on the contrary, it was Grace’s mother and aunt who were attacked by the teachers.

    He said: “We received a distressed call earlier that day that some hoodlums were harassing the school, so we went there to help out like we have been doing on previous occasions when they needed help from us. We are good neighbours and we have never failed to rise to the occasion anytime we get a distress call from them.

    “They called us that hoodlums have come to attack the school. By the time we got there to sort out the issue the hoodlums had escaped.

    “Later that same day, a female staff member of the service went to investigate the harassment of her niece in the school by a teacher alongside the mother of the girl. There was no man with them. Think about it. Is it possible for one man to fight all the teachers in the school? Absolutely not! The women were rather harassed by the teachers and called for help and operatives went to the school to rescue the women, which they did and brought them to the office. There was no shooting in the premises. The school locked the officers and they had to demobilise the gate which led to the unfortunate incident of shooting at the gate.

    “We are working with the management of the school to work things out amicably. We have had a very wonderful relationship with the school that has been mutually beneficial.”

    It was learnt that investigations had been opened on the matter and those found culpable would be sanctioned.

  • Kano to employ 2,000 re-trained teachers

    Kano State Government plans to inject 2,000 teachers who bagged the National Certificate in Education (NCE), under state sponsorship, into its primary and junior secondary schools.

    The Deputy Governor, Prof Hafiz Abubakar, made this known in Kano while addressing a press conference as part of activities to mark the state’s Basic Education Week, which theme is: “Education For all: A responsibility for all.”

    He said the 2,000 teachers would be drawn from the 25,000 unqualified teachers in the school system, who are undergoing NCE and Post-graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes on state sponsorship.

    He said the teachers would graduate during the week-long programme.

    “On Day Three of the ceremony,   2000 in-service sponsored graduands of National Certificate of Education and Post-graduate Diploma in Education would graduate,” he said.

    Reiterating the administration’s commitment to basic education, Abubakar said the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje administration had spent over N1,251,533,819 on various projects to develop basic education in the 44 Local Government areas of the state.

    “Out of the aforementioned fund, the state government disbursed N10 million each to the Education Promotion Committees in the 44 Local Government areas to execute education projects,” he said.

    He said over N1.2 billion was part of the SUBEB/UBEC Marching Grant for 2015 education projects.

    He added that the government spent over N30 billion on teachers’ salaries in 2016.

    Abubakar said the programmes for the week included a meeting between Ganduje and 1,000 head teachers, 44 executives and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), permanent secretaries, and other stakeholders to discuss the challenges threatening education and the way forward.

    He also said Ganduje, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Rurum, would inspect ongoing projects across the state.

    “On Day Six of the ceremony, the Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje will inspect the projects executed in Kano Central. I am going to inspect projects executed in Kano South, then the Speaker, Hon Kabiru Alasan Rurum will inspect the projects in Kano North,” he said.

     

  • ‘5,000 sacked teachers to be re-absorbed after screening’

    Akwa Ibom State government will re-absorb the 5,000 teachers sacked last October on the grounds of alleged fake credentials and other irregularities observed in the recruitment process.

    The Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Ekereobong Akpan, briefed reporters in Uyo.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls the affected teachers, whose appointment letters were dated April 1, 2015, were hurriedly recruited by the administration of ex-Governor Godswill Akpabio a month before the end of its tenure.

    NAN reports that the secondary school teachers had not received their salaries or posted to schools from April 2015 to October 2016, although they were given letters of appointment.

    Akpan said the government had set up modalities for the screening and re-validation of the affected teachers, adding that the exercise would begin on February 11.

    The head of service said the government decided to open another window of opportunity to enable the teachers, especially those who possess relevant qualifications, to be recruited.

    She said the teachers would be screened on presentation of their original letter of appointment from the suspended the exercise.

    “The affected persons will be expected to supply their birth certificates, first school leaving certificates, educational qualifications, certificate of origin and other credentials earlier submitted.

    “Let me state here and very sincerely that the affected persons, who succeed at this fool proof screening, shall be offered appointment to teach in our public schools,” Akpan said.

    She said the government had set up a committee to ascertain the total number of workers inherited from the six privately-owned community schools taken over by the government in 2012.

    The head of service expressed surprise that the staff strength in the six community schools increased to 546 after the government took over the schools.

    “Let me break the good news that the committee set up has submitted its report.

    “All the bona fide teaching and non-teaching workers as identified by the community will be absorbed into the service,” she said.

  • 23 teachers dismissed in Zambia for impregnating pupils

    Zambia News and Information Service (ZANIS) on Saturday said no fewer than 23 teachers were dismissed in Zambia for sexually abusing and impregnating pupils in 2016.

    The Teaching Service Commission in Zambia said that the teachers were dismissed for having sex with the pupils and impregnating others from January to December 2016.

    The commission is a quasi-government agency that oversees all matters related to terms and conditions of teacher services.

    Jennifer Chiwala, the commission chairperson, however, said that two provinces, Lusaka and Luapula, did not record any case of sexual abuse of pupils.

    “As of January to December 2016, a total of 23 teachers were dismissed out of which 13 were dismissed for having carnal knowledge of pupils, while the other 10 were dismissed for impregnating pupils,’’ she said.

    According to her, investigations have been launched concerning the sexual abuse of pupils by teachers and that a comprehensive report will be issued after the investigations.

    “In January, some pupils at a girls’ school in northern Zambia complained of sexual abuse by teachers, a move that caused anger, forcing the government to launch investigations.

    “So far, some teachers have been suspended at the school after they were implicated of perpetrating the trend by the pupils during investigations. (Xinhua/NAN)

  • Kwara releases N1.1b for teachers’, ex-councillors’ pay

    The Kwara State government has released N900 million for the payment of secondary school teacher’s January salary.

    Another N100 million was released to pay part of the severance allowance of former councillors.

    Commissioner for Finance, who is also Chairman of the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), Demola Banu, spoke during the JAAC meeting.

    Banu said all workers in the 16 local council areas got their January salaries last Friday, adding that the government will continue to prioritise payment of workers’ salaries.

    Stakeholders and labour leaders present at the meeting lauded the government for being transparent and honest in the distribution of the monthly allocation.

  • Police parade teachers, 16 others

    Police parade teachers, 16 others

    Eighteen suspected criminals among them two teachers were yesterday paraded by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, AIG Kayode Aderanti at the Onikan zonal headquarters, Lagos.

    The suspects were involved in  robberies, defilement and stealing.

    Aderanti said the Zone 2 ‘X’ Squad on January 10 arrested Stanley Akanno and Olakunle Hassan, both teachers in a private primary school in Amuwo Odofin for serially defiling their six-year-old female pupil.

    The teachers, he said, during extra mural classes, showed pornography on their laptop to the pupil and made her practice same on them.

    “The pupil has been taken to a government hospital where it was medically established that she had been deflowered. The suspects will soon be charged to court,” Aderanti said.

    Adams Jiddah and Emeka Okeke were arrested for robbery and stealing a Toyota Corolla. A locally made revolver pistol used by them was also recovered.

    Aderanti said his men arrested Chibuzor Ekeocha, a member of a robbery gang that robbed a Lexus Jeep RX 330 marked LA 267 BOI belonging to Senator Gbenga Ashafa from his driver at gun point at Abule Egba, Lagos.

    The police chief said: “Last December 29, acting on reliable intelligence, a team of Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS) operatives trailed and accosted a Volvo truck marked AAA 428 XE belonging to GBC Transport along Ijebu-Ode Expressway. The truck loaded with Nestle products from Nestle Plc Agbara, Ogun State was on its way to Edo State. Six male suspects were eventually arrested and investigations revealed that the driver and his motor boy connived with others to sell the truck and the goods for N9 million. The goods have been recovered. The suspects are Orbo Andrew, Sylvester Inwomoh, Lateef Bello, Ademola Ademola, Emmanuel Tuoye and Bob Momoh.

    “On January 12, ZIS operatives also trailed and arrested a gang of three males and one female who specialised in hypnotising and defrauding their victims. They were arrested in their shrine in Aiyedire Local Government, Osun State at the point of obtaining N3.5 million from a victim. They had earlier defrauded a victim of N3.5 million in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. Items recovered from them include fake foreign currencies, horrifying statues, charms, one Honda Pilot Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a Toyota Sienna bus. The suspects are Segun Adesoji, Mudasiru Sumonu, Sakiratu Olayinka Aniyikaye and Jogunola Sunday. ZIS on December 31 while on routine anti-crime patrol arrested Lanre Ayuba, Sunday Oloyede and Gafar Ajala in a case of robbery at Isale Ake area of Abeokuta. Two motorcycles were recovered. Another suspect is still at large.

    “What we have done today is to let the public know that the police are not resting on their oars. We shall leave no stone unturned in our quest to engender a crime-free society. We assure Nigerians and residents of Lagos and Ogun states especially of the zone’s total commitment in ensuring that absolute security prevails. I urge everyone with credible information not to hesitate in bringing such forward.”

     

  • Old students honour teachers

    Methodist Grammar School Old Student’s Association, Bodija, Ibadan (Class of 1995) has honoured 13 teachers with cash prize and awards for their outstanding performances during their stay in the school.

    Those honoured were: Price Adeolu Omokanjuola, Mrs Joana Olusanya, Mrs Obafunmike Odunlami, Elizabeth Adetola, Mr Peter Owoade, Mr Julius Akinleye, Mrs Modupeola Ladapo.

    Others were: Mrs Oluremi Bolaji (late), Prof Ismaila Sangodoyin, Mrs Titilayo Ayo-Williams, Mrs Abimbola Tewe, Mrs Alice Onimode and Mr Olufemi Bamidele.

    In his welcome address, the Chairman of the association, Akinwole Akinleye said the gesture was to appreciate the great impact the awardees made in their lives.

    “You all here have really impacted our lives and today we want to show you our gratitude. We want to say with all emphasises that the foundation and direction you gave us made us who we are today.

    “This class set started its formation in 2005 and we registered it with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The objective of this association is to give back to our school and our teachers because they have both given us so much,” he added.

    Listing the achievements of the association so far, Akinyele said: “We have spent over N600,000 on some projects in the school, which includes rehabilitation of borehole system, purchase of 10 white chalk boards, furniture for teachers an payment for WAEC registration for 10 students”

    One of the awardees, who is also the principal of Methodist, Mrs Modupe Ladapo, thanked the old students. She recalled that the school was an eyesore when she assumed duty in 2014.

  • Lagos trains 250 adult education teachers

    Lagos State Adult Education programme, Eko nkekoo (Lagos is learning), has  trained the first batch of 250 facilitators.

    Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, Special Adviser to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Education, who kicked off the two-day training on Tuesday, last week, said a total of 1,000 facilitators would be trained to man the 1,000 centres the state plans to open this year.

    He said the aim of the programme was to raise the literacy rate of Lagos from 87 to 95 per cent in collaboration with the private sector.

    He said it was part of the mandate by Ambode to ensure that the state meets the needs of its citizens irrespective of tribe, creed, socio economic status and education.

    “One of the key things the governor has mandated us to do is a Lagos that works for all.  One way we can achieve that is if you can read and write.  If you are in Lagos, you must be able to read and write.

    “We launched Eko nkekoo last October 13 to increase the number of centres we have in partnership with the private sector, non-governmental organisations, religious organisations.  So, we have centres near you.That is why we have partnered the Mechanic Association and the Market Women’s associations; so in every mechanic village in Lagos State, there will be a centre.

    “After the training, we will be opening 250 more centres and posting these facilitators to those centres,” he said.

    Bank-Olemoh said there were plans to woo adult learners to the centres with gifts if collaborations with the private sector work out right.

    “We are hoping we will be able to give incentives to encourage adults to come regularly. For instance, they could get a carton of Indomie for coming. We are hoping to do this with the private sector,” he said.

    Director, Agency for Mass Education, Mrs Oluwakemi Kalesanwo, said the facilitators, all of who are NCE holders, would teach for two hours thrice weekly and be paid N10,000 for their efforts monthly.

    She said the training was to equip them with technical skills to teach adult learners.

    “The training is to teach the facilitators how to teach adults and retain them in the classroom. They are already trained as NCE graduates so they know the basics.

    “If they don’t already have centres, we will post them to centres.  You must have a minimum of 20 adults in a centre.

    “They will teach the adult learners how to read and write.  Any learner interested in continuing can go on to our vocational centres and Continuing Education Centre,” she said.

    Mrs Kalesanwo said she was touched that more facilitators showed up for the training, though only 250 were invited.

    “We had to send others away to wait for the next batch of training,” she said.

  • How our students, staff were abducted – Turkish school Principal

    The Principal of the Nigerian Turkish International Colleges(NTIC), Isheri, Ogun State, on Saturday gave an account of how eight students and staff of the school were abducted at gunpoint by people suspected to be kidnappers.

    The Principal, Yunus Emre Dogan, said the gunmen arrived the school premises on Friday night armed and began to shoot sporadically, adding that there was panic everywhere.

    Yunus said that the abductors swiftly dashed into the female hostel where three students were kidnapped alongside the house mistress and a Turkish teacher that teaches mathematics in the school.

    According to him, the abductors dug a big hole through a side of the College’s perimeter fence from where they escaped through the bushy and swampy part of the area.

    The Principal offered the explanation of the incident when the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Princess Yetunde Onanuga, visited the school on Saturday in company of other members of the state Executive Council for on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
    The Nation gathered that among those abducted are three regular students and two others who were preparing for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board exams, and three members of staff while a cook was also taken away from the kitchen.

    Addressing the agonizing parents at the school, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, assured that the government was committed to the safe return of the students, saying state government had put security measure in place in that direction.

    The Deputy Governor appealed to parents and guardians of the pupils to remain calm and not engage in panic withdrawal of their children from the school.

    “We are here to express our concern and symphaty. It is unfortunate that, this is happening barely few days on school resumption. Wheen we heard about it, we quickly sprang into action, hence the urgent visit.

    “Our government has put necessary security measure in place for the rescue of the abductees. Ogun State is already in action. Let me reassure you that we are going to rescue the victims soon.

    “No doubt, it does happen once a while but it’s unfortunate, the state is aware and we are doing the work, we will do all that is possible for the safe return of the children. The FG is aware and they habe also assured us that very very soon, they would be rescued.

    “It’s not the time to start taking children out of the schools, the security operatives are all on ground to ensure safety of life and property of the school. We will do all that is possible to make sure the school is safe and the school authority is also doing what is possible to ensure that the state is safe,” she said

    Mr Ahmad Ajani, whose daughter – Hanatullah Aderinto Ajani(22), was one of the abducted pupils, said he got the information on Friday night that his girl has been kidnapped.

    Ajani who described the incident as sad and unfortunate said his child was in the school to prepare for the forthcoming JAMB exams.

    “Somebody called in the midnight that something happened here and my daughter was involved, I had to come down this morning and the Police Commissioner addressed us assuring that they would work on it and that everything would be alright very soon.

    “I am very sad but prayerful that the they are rescued on time, as I am standing, I am traumatised, you can imagine a girl of 22 preparing for University and somebody took her away, it is a big issue.”

    But Funmi Tijani has blamed the management of the school for the security lapses that led to the abduction.

    Mrs Tijani said the College did not put in place enough security measures including security, to forestall the incident.

    She said, “We parents jointly resolved and agreed that we have to take away our children at least for the first one week, until we are convinced about perfect security arrangement in place.

    “The road is not tarred, no security light, bushes all around, last year, the school was closed down for two weeks because of flood. What we are saying is that ‘let there be adequate security.

    “We are taking our Children away, we’ve agreed amongst ourselves to take our children away for a week, my daughter saw them, witnessed the whole scenerio and she’s traumatised, psychologically, they are not balanced, you don’t expect me to leave her behind.”