As the world mark Teachers’ Day on Saturday, the Chairman Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board, ODSUBEB Rt Hon Victor Olabimtan has hailed teachers’ contributions to the development of the modern society through their relentless efforts as the first building blocks of tomorrow’s leaders.
Olabimtan said this while speaking on the theme of this year’s 2024 World Teachers’ Day: Valuing Teachers Voices’ Towards a New Social Contract for Education.
According to him, it is all about recognizing the importance of integrating teachers perspective into educational policies and providing on going professional development in supportive environment.
The theme highlights the need to value teachers voices and bring them to the center of every conversation on education especially while considering the challenges they faced daily.
It is instructive to note that UNESCO and other Education International partners create a theme each year, using World Teachers’ Day as a platform to draw attention to critical issues in teaching and education.
This year’s theme is particularly significant, as it emphasizes the importance of respecting and empowering teachers as experts in their profession. Integrating teachers’ perspectives into educational policies,
Providing continuous professional development in supportive environment and valuing teachers’ voices in decision-making processes.
Still on the theme, Olabimtan said apart from recognizing the importance of teachers as the makers of the building blocks of every societal development, the theme tallies with the educational policy of the present administration in the state which has placed much premium on the training and welfare of teachers in the basic education sector especially in the Public Primary Schools.
In a Release to mark the occasion the ODSUBEB boss said teachers are special bread of people that must be accorded their rightful positions in the scheme of things in the society as it used to be in those days.
Olabimtan who is a certified teacher and school administrator before venturing into politics called for return to the status quo in respect of the place teachers were in our society in order to properly appreciate their contributions to the making of modern society.
The former Speaker Ondo State House of Assembly called on teachers not to lose hope as the State Government will continue to prioritize their welfare and conditions of service.
He used the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day to commend the State government huge investment in the basic education sector especially in upgrading infrastructure, such as classrooms, fences to provide needed security for teachers and learners and bole holes for their conveniences.
According to him, in the last Seven and a half years, the State Government has spent over N22 billion in upgrading facilities in Public Primary Schools on the construction, reconstruction/rehabilitation of over 900 school buildings, fencing, provisions of bole holes, furniture for teachers & learners, laboratories, e -learning facilities and distribution of instructional materials to mention but a few.
Olabimtan equally used the occasion to disclosed that as part of its commitment to the development of the basic sector the state Executive Council has approved the payment of #3.5b counterpart fund that will enable the Board to access the year 2024 UBEC matching grant of like sum.
In addition to that the Board in conjunction with the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Abuja, has continue to train and retrain teachers to the extent of sponsoring some for overseas trainings to up scale and improve their skills.
While admonishing teachers to continue to deliver on their mandate, considering government’s huge investment in the sector, ODSUBEB boss said the Board is almost completed the process of releasing the appointment letters to 1000 teachers it got approval to recruit earlier in the year to fill critical vacancies in the State Public Primary Schools.
The World Teachers’ Day formerly known as International Teachers’ Day was established by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) on 5th October 1994 as an annual event to pay tribute to the educators who play a pivotal role in the shaping of our future.
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