Grace Omachoko
The Ondo State Government has nullified automatic promotion for teachers in its public primary schools, across the state.
Speaking during an interactive session with the Education Secretaries from the 18 Local Government Areas of the State, in Akure, the chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Rt Hon Victor Olabimtan said that the promotion of teachers would henceforth will be based on the academic performance of students.
Hon Olabimtan noted the state government is not pleased with the level of performance of its pupils having provided enabling environment for good performance.
In his words, “Consequently from the next year no teacher will be promoted to the next grade levels especially from 13 and above without empirical evidence that the wards under him or her performed very well in their examinations.
“The State Government cannot continue to pretend as if all is well with the system, lay by, and gloss over the current performance of pupils in Public Schools for a State in which education is its main industry.
“Considering the State Government’s huge investment in the basic education sector through the construction and renovation of over 900 schools and the distribution of free instructional material to pupils, the government expects better delivery from teachers and performance from pupils in all examinations”, he said.
The chairman added that the state government would not hesitate to deal with anybody, no matter how highly placed, trying to sabotage the established high-standard performance in education, the State is known for.
“As a way of improving the performance of pupils at both internal and external examinations in all Public Schools in the state, all promotions, especially from grade 13 and above would be subjected to performance evaluation by the Board and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology.” He added.
Olabimtan said that from the beginning of the new academic session, the Board is going to revive its monitoring and supervisory mechanism by paying unscheduled visits to all the schools in the State to ensure teachers are in classes doing what they were employed to do.
The Chairman also warned teachers who are in the habit of avoiding duties or engaging in selling and buying during school sessions to desist because anybody caught in the act will face the consequences.
According to him, “there is credible information that some teachers come to school at will while others do not come at all but employ someone else to do their jobs while engaging in other activities at the detriment of students under their care. Some even traveled abroad without appropriate approval.” He stated.
