By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye
In tts firm commitment in making public schools more active and functional in the state, the State Universal Basic Education Board SUBEB, Delta State, has warned and maintained that days were teachers earned salaries without work was over.
Chairman SUBEB, Delta State, Hon Samuel Mariere stated this during a meeting with Education stakeholders in Warri South and Warri South West local government areas, in continuation with it ongoing discussions towards uplifting standards in public primary schools in the state.
Mariere, a former member of the Delta State House of Assembly and one time Commissioner for Water Resources Development, said a lot of Teachers has relocated abroad but still collect salaries while they abandoned the pupils to remain uneducated.
He noted that for the ongoing reforms in public primary schools to succeed, Head Teachers and the Teaching staff must live up to expectations, including exposing those who have abandoned their responsibilities in the school for greener pastures elsewhere.
The Subeb Boss emphasized that discipline must be enforced at all times, stressing that every stakeholders should support the reform agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in the education sector.
Hon Mariere charged Head Teachers and parents to look beyond class room work, saying that in the glorious old days of primary education, Teachers were respected in the communities because they were seen as agents of positive change.
The Subeb Chairman and his team were earlier at the palaces of the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse lll, CFR, and the Orusuen of Okere Urhrobo kingdom, Oghenochuko Morris Eyekpimi Egbobonyen, Owhoyemu ll where he explained government’s resolves to reposition the public primary schools to its good old former status.
He stressed that basic primary education is the foundation of education, and that if the formative part of the pupils is devoid of the best, the outcome of the future may not be palatable.
Mariere appealed to the traditional rulers to support government efforts by getting their subjects involved in the repositioning of public primary schools in their domains.
He said communities must take ownership of the schools by providing security and working with the head teachers to give quality education to the pupils.
The Subeb Chairman commended the SBMC and vigilante groups for their contributions to the development of public primary schools, even as he called on them to do more.
Representative of the Olu of Warri, Chief Brown Mene, commended government for the reforms and promised that the palace will support it to succeed.
Orusuen of Okere-Urhobo, Ogheneochuko Morris Eyekpimi Egbobonye Owhoyemu ll, said reforms is a welcome development, adding that the kingdom was committed to the growth of educational institutions in the society.
He disclosed that before the recruitment of teachers by the state government, the kingdom had employed private teachers to support in the schools.
Other stakeholders who spoke, commended Subeb for its strategic steps to improve standards in public primary schools across the state.