Lagos Rewards Teachers, Seeks Commitment

Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Adebisi Sarah Sosan, has advised teachers in the state not to give excuses in the performance of their duties. She said this was the only way government could recognise their input into the state's efforts at changing the face of education.  N.B Visit www.campusflava.com for updates and information related to other schools.   Sosan said these during the 2009 annual education merit award, held at the state's secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The  "most resourceful teacher," Mrs Olajumoke Odukoya, went home with a brand new Kia Rio saloon car. Sheteaches at Baptist Senior High School, Obanikoro and also emerged as the best teacher in the state for 2008. Other teachers, students and schools in the state's primary, junior and senior secondary schools, also received various awards. Sosan, who also supervises the Ministry of Education, said any teacher that gives excuses would not achieve success, adding that the awards were meant to recognise diligent and hard working teachers,  to make them impact positively on the pupils. "This award is in line with our tradition to recognise the acknowledged role of teachers as moulders of minds through transfer of knowledge to pupils and students and thus empowering them to function positively in their environment. "All of those being honoured today have obviously done away with excuses in the performance of their responsibilities for, in the words of Benjamin Franklin,  'he that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else,' which is why they have emerged as award recipients," she said. "She stressed that those being honoured emerged tops after a screening procedure.She added that their emergence was due to passion and dedication they had demonstrated in the discharge of their duties.The Deputy Governor also pointed out that in the face of all the awards, government recognises the fact that the quality of education cannot be improved without the continual upgrade of the teachers and the environment in which they work.She disclosed that government will continually expose the teachers to quality training programme in a bid to improve on the public schools more than any other state.Chairman of the event, Otunba Olarenwaju Folorunso, explained that a quiet revolution is currently taking place in the educational sector in the state, adding that government had shown enough desire and intents to change the system.Acknowledging the efforts of government, Folorunso said he had thought that giving awards to deserving workers was only practiced in the private sectors. He urged the teachers to reciprocate the gestures by putting in their best.He appealed to the government to always involve the private sectors when embarking on awards of this nature, noting that such involvement might further spur teachers in the public sector to strive to achieve excellence..The best teacher of the year said she believed her emergence was as a result of the extra-curricular activities she engaged herself with in the school and clubs.Odukoya said her award will encourage others to put in their best and be dedicated to the service of the students.