Gafar Alabi 

As part of efforts to improve academic excellence in public primary schools across Ogun State, the Chairman of the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Evangelist Olalekan Ifede, has called for stronger collaboration with the Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON) and the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), Ogun State Chapter.

Speaking during a strategic meeting at the SUBEB Conference Room in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Evangelist Ifede emphasised the need for synergy among key education stakeholders to achieve sustainable improvements in learning outcomes within the State’s public schools.

“Whatever we are doing,  no matter how much we spend on basic education, if the results are not impressive, then, we are not achieving our goals”. If public school pupils cannot compete favourably with their private school counterparts, then, we must ask ourselves what where  have we missed it. When it comes to teacher qualifications and competence, public school teachers are second to none," Ifede stated.

He urged the associations to complement the efforts of the Local, State, and Federal Governments, which was reflected in the heavy investment in basic education, by fulfilling their roles in supporting teachers and parents to secure a brighter future for the pupils.

The SUBEB boss assured stakeholders that the board would continue to play a proactive role by organising capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing teacher effectiveness, revealing plans for targeted training, particularly for kindergarten teachers, stressing that such training must translate to improved performance and better learning outcomes.

“Soon, you will begin to see our impact. Head teachers and teachers, especially those handling early childhood classes will undergo training. But we do not just want to organise training, we want to see its effect on pupils. That is our mission and vision,” Ifede assures.

He admonished AOPSHON leaders to inspire teachers to see themselves as professionals of the highest standard and to approach their duties with renewed confidence and commitment.

In his address, the Board Secretary, Mr. Olubori Akinleye, described the associations as vital stakeholders in the education sector, noting that the visit would further strengthen the existing relationship and contribute significantly to the development of basic education in the State.

In her remarks, the State AOPSHON Chairman, Comrade Folake Onabajo, affirmed that SUBEB and the association were “partners in progress,” expressing readiness to cooperate fully with the board under its current leadership.

“Your pedigree and commitment to service as evident in your past engagements, give us confidence that our schools, our teachers, and indeed our learners are in good hands,” Onabajo said.

Comrade Onabajo commended the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun for its consistent support of teachers across the State which include the prompt payment of salaries, timely promotion, regular disbursement of leave allowances, consistent funding of school running costs, as well as the construction of new "yellow roof" school buildings and the renovation of dilapidated structures, among others.

Also speaking, Chairman, PTA Ogun State Chapter, Reverend Oluwasegun Folorunsho JP, congratulated the board members for the appointment, pledged full support to its initiatives, assuring that the PTA would always be ready to play its part when called upon.