South ’West Teachers Groan Under Poor Welfare, Overwork

                 THE much-anticipated 2015 general elections have come and gone. But, issues that were left unaddressed in the education systems across the South-West states have begun to resonate, countdown to the assumption of office by the various State governors on Friday, May 29, 2015. In Lagos State, following the expiration of the second-term of Governor Babatunde Fashola, a new helmsman who was elected on April 11, will be assuming office at the Alausa Government House, Ikeja, on May 29. He is Governor-elect, Akinwunmi Ambode.

teachers-in-westIn the neighbouring Ogun State, Governor Ibikunle Amosun was re-elected and will therefore be returning to the Oke-Mosan Government House, Abeokuta, on May 29. Interestingly, in Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi broke the one-term jinx to become the first governor of the state to be re-elected for a second-term. He will be returning to the Agodi Government House, Ibadan, on May 29.

Unlike, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo, elections were not held in Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States as the governors are still serving their terms in office. In Ondo, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, was re-elected for a second-term in October 2012. He therefore has about one year to spend in the Alagbaka Government House, Akure.

In Osun, Governor Rauf Aregbesola was re-elected for a second-term in June 2014. He therefore has about three more years to spend in the Abere Government House, Osogbo. Similarly, in Ekiti, Governor Ayodele Fayose, who initially had an aborted stint as governor in 2003, has however, been unsettled since his second coming. He still has about three more years to spend in the Ekiti Government House, situated on the Ayoba Hills in Ado-Ekiti.

As part of efforts to continue the free education policy introduced by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, while he was the Premier of the old Western region, South West governors promised free education in their states. However, while Awolowo’s free education policy cut across the basic and tertiary levels of education, what is practised in these states is an ‘abridged’ version which is restricted to the basic level of education (From Basic 1 to Basic 12).

Increasedenrolment

Despite the benefits of this free education policy across the South-West states, one of which is increased enrolment of school-aged children in schools, Vanguard, in this report, examines the apparent challenges posing as clog in the wheel of progress to the educational system in the region.

These issues border on welfare of teachers and students; poor performance of students in national examinations such the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Senior School Certificate Examination (internal) conducted by the National Examination Council (NECO); heavy tax reductions on teachers’ salaries and severance packages; continued retirement of teachers, with little or no replacement; poor and delayed payment of teachers’ salaries, among others.