The Ogun State Government on Tuesday reassured the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools of safety in schools.
The Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu said this while meeting some leadership of the teachers’ unions in Abeokuta over the serial attacks and assault on teachers by the students in the state.
Last week, about three cases were recorded where students and hoodlums hired reportedly invaded some secondary schools’ premises and beat up the teachers.
Arigbabu alongside the Chairman, Teaching Service Commission, Olalekan Ifede expressed the government’s readiness to provide adequate security for them as they carry out their duties.
He urged them to do their jobs without fear of molestation from any quarter.
Arigbabu disclosed that the government had already held a meeting with relevant security agencies on modalities of curbing the ugly trend, adding that students caught in the unruly behaviour are to be charged to court for prosecution.
He reiterated the position of the Dapo Abiodun led administration towards ensuring that lawless behaviours, such as bullying teachers and other students would be nipped in the bud.
He said, “I want to assure all teachers in the State that the government will continue to give them maximum support. You should be able to do your work without fear or rancour and we will appeal to teachers that we are not going to relent in making sure that all your concerns and entitlements are met.”
Arigbabu emphasised that the government remained unwavering in its desire to create an enabling environment for teachers to work, affirming that it would ensure all matters of concern to them in terms of remuneration and entitlements were paid promptly.
In his remarks, Ifede urged the teachers to comport themselves with decency, maintaining that indiscipline would also not be condoned from teachers and principals.
In their respective responses, the NUT Chairman, Comrade Abiodun Akinola and the ASUSS counterpart, Comrade Akeem Lasisi appreciated the government’s efforts in tackling the recent unruly activities in schools and expressed their conviction that actions already taken would help make the ugly development a thing of the past.
The duo also called for a review of some educational policies and disciplinary matters, while appealing for the collective efforts of teachers, principals, head teachers, and parents’ associations to address the situation, pledging that on their part as leaders of the Unions, they would not tolerate unprofessional conducts.
