…As gov makes case for teachers in Nigeria, says ‘attempt to relegate them would inhibit growth’

From: WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State and some brilliant secondary school students of the state, on Thursday, received honour from the President’s Schools Debate Nigeria (PSDN) , an arm of the Presidency, for outstanding performance of the state’s students who did the nation proud in an international debate competition in Singapore.

The state contingent had come first come tops National Junior Engineers Technologists and Scientists competition (JETS )competition, while in NECO examinations, the state was adjudged the best in the whole federation.

According to coordinator of PSDN, Dare Oritu, the unique performance of Ekiti students provided the basis for the PSDN under the auspices of the Presidency for nominating the Ekiti Debate team to participate in the international debating championship in Singapore.

Governor Fayose advised the Federal Government to urgently put teachers in the country on the drivers’ seat in the effort to ensure all round social development.

Governor Fayose added that failure by the government of the day to recognise the immense contribution of teachers to nation development and show true love for them, would continue to constitute a clog in the wheel of progress for the nation.

Ekiti State Oritu, who gave governor Fayose the honour to garland students who did well in the education contest, said the Ekiti State’s students’ performance was a testimony of the high standard of education in the state.

Governor Fayose said: “We believe so much in human development Whatever you have put into the development of other sectors, for human and material development, without equally developing education, is a waste of time.

“You would recall that during my first time, Ekiti was number 25 in rating in WAEC out of the 36 states but when I was leaving we rose to number 7. Today, Ekiti is number one. This shows that there is a governor who is always working hard and ensuring excellence in all aspects of governance. As a state of the fountain of knowledge, education is our identity and we will continue to support the teachers and students and all other things that would ensure that we maintain this first position.

” All policies of government that fails to put the teachers at the drivers’ seat is a waste of time. Our children and wards spend more time with their teachers than with their parents and guardians. The antidote for the decay in education is love for teachers‎ and  I will support anything education‎,” he said.

Fayose said building social infrastructure without solid education for the citizenry would in the end amount to nothing.

He explained that the state government was investing heavily in the sector because education was the future of the state.

He expressed happiness that the investment was paying off with the great feats the state was recording in the sector.

He listed some of the feats to include coming first in NECO examinations, improved position in WAEC examinations, emerging victorious in many national competitions including the among others.

Meanwhile, Governor Fayose has given monetary rewards to some students and their teachers who did the state proud in various competitions.

Master Tosin Adedipe from Shepherd International School, Ado-Ekiti who emerged the nation’s best in the Young Scientist Competition held in Abuja, was given N2.5 million.

His school also got N1.5 million, while his teacher got N500,000.

The governor also said the state government would build a block of three-classroom in the school.

He promised that such rewards would henceforth be given to winner‎s of academic laurels and their schools.