Kwara governor addresses principals ahead of school resumption

Ahead of school resumption in Kwara State tomorrow; Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Thursday had an open engagement with school heads in the state to feel their pulse on government’s performance on basic education and their welfare across board.

The school principals advocated for recruitment of more science and languages teachers as well as non-teaching staff, provision of more textbooks in core subjects, in-service training for teachers, improved security network of schools.

Abdulrazaq, who acknowledged all the issues raised by the teachers, noted that his administration remains committed to total turnaround of the education sector so that Kwara can reclaim its place in the north and Nigeria as a whole.

A statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, quoted Abdulrazaq saying, “We have introduced KwaraLEARN programme and I thank you all for embracing the programme. That’s one of the paths to bringing Kwara back on top in Northern Nigeria and the rest of the country.

“The investment the government and you are making today may not show immediately but it is something that will speak for all of us later in the future. What you are doing is to produce responsible citizens for Nigeria and the world, and we are grateful for that.

“I have listened carefully to all the issues of promotions, leave bonuses, uniforms in schools, non-academic staff employment, textbooks, harmonisation between TESCOM and SUBEB salary, in-service trainings, seminars, security in schools, unity schools and exchange students within the state, equipping laboratories in our schools, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools, backlog of salaries, girl-child education, encroachment of school properties and building of shops in front schools. These were part of the issues raised today and we will dissect them and take them one after the other.”

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At least 300 school principals attended the meeting — along with some key stakeholders from across the education sector in Kwara State.

The heads of secondary schools, however, said Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s achievements in turning around learning environment and improving welfare of teachers are unmatched in the recent history of the state.

The teachers also commended the introduction of KwaraLEARN which they say is truly impactful, adding that the administration’s interventions have also been spread across every part of the state in a way never seen before.

The teachers, who acknowledged the improvements in their wages and teaching environment, also called on the Governor to consider restoring boarding facilities which died off a few years ago, end the pay disparities between teachers in basic classes and their senior secondary school counterparts which he inherited, commit more funds to laboratories in the schools, and do more to offset the arrears of salaries he met in 2019.

Principal of Ilorin Grammar School, Abdullahi Muslimat Iyabo, said the school was one of the schools which benefited from comprehensive renovation of schools under Governor AbdulRazaq’s administration.

“Our school benefitted from not just a few renovations but total renovation of the school. On behalf of the management of Ilorin Grammar School, we want to say thank you. I also want to express our gratitude to you for the sense of humility and commitment to the welfare of the teachers and students. I want to also sincerely appreciate your efforts at ensuring that teachers are promoted, and we want you to keep this up,” she said.

Also, principal of Community Junior Secondary School Ipetu-Igbomina in Irepodun Local Government, Babatunde Joshua Adegboyega, asserts the administration has given a befitting facelift to schools while doing its best to promote welfare.

“I want to appreciate your good gesture for the promotion implemented, the welfare packages on salaries as well as changing the facelift of schools through renovation. God will continue to be your guide,” Adegboyega said.

Principal Queen Elizabeth Senior Secondary School Ilorin, Sidikat Taye Lawal, said, “On behalf of the old students of Queen Elizabeth School of which I am one of them thank you for transforming Queen Elizabeth School to a modern secondary school through the road network. We want to appreciate you again for your care and love for the students on exchange programme because I remember last year I was in Minna, Niger State for the Conference of Principals of Exchange Schools and Kwara State was ranked the best in the programme.

“We were able to interact with principals from other states and learnt how some had to borrow money to feed their students. But in the case of Kwara, we get money to feed these students as and when due and you transport them at the right time, not leaving them for their parents to send transportation fees. Thank you very much sir.”

Chairman of SUBEB, Shehu Raheem Adaramaja, a professor, described the interactive session as historic in the state.

Adaramaja blamed the longstanding disparity in pay between SUBEB and TESCOM teachers on four factors, out of which two have now been resolved.

He listed the factors to be over-deduction of NUT and National Housing Scheme (NHS) dues — both of which have now been addressed and reflected in the teachers’ salaries — stoppage of step upgrades for SUBEB teachers since 2016, and non-payment of allowances due to teachers with TRCN. He said these challenges would also be resolved, but called for patience and understanding of the teachers.

Adaramaja declared that pending promotion arrears would soon be implemented, recalling that the administration had similarly fixed some of the promotion arrears it inherited without any political colouration.

The SUBEB boss said training and retraining of teachers has been paramount to the administration, especially with the renewed cordial relationship between UBEC and SUBEB.