Ondo State Goverment has been warned against making allegedly
unfounded allegations against teachers in the state.
Particularly, the state’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools’ of Nigeria, ASUSS, criticised the Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, for indulging in the practice.
The union said that it was unacceptable and unthinkable for any political appointee to make allegations against teachers in the state without any proof.
Odebowale had told journalists in Akure that his office received reports that teachers in the state were engaging pupils in domestic chores in their houses and farms on the guise of teaching the pupils’ agricultural practical.
He said any teacher caught would be sanctioned and prosecuted.
He had said:“We gathered that some teachers in schools in rural areas have formed the habit of using pupils to work in their private farms under the guise of doing agricultural practicals. Some send female pupils to be cooking for them.”
But the ASSUS challenged Odebowale to mention names and schools where teachers were using students for home chores and farm work.
State Chairman of ASUSS, Comrade Tajudeen Balogun, asked Akeredolu to call Odebowale to order and stop dragging names of hard-working teachers in the mud.
He said: “Let him (Odebowale) go to any school in the state, all teachers are very busy now with their official duties because many things had been lost to the long holiday caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have the best crops of teachers in Ondo states. Nobody should drag our names in the mud. We advise Dr. Odebowale to stop making wring allegations against us.
“We urge that he (Odebowale) should courageous enough to name who send students on private farms or works. We, therefore, want to congratulate Mr. Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on his recent reelection.”
Odebowale had on Tuesday at a news briefing in Akure, advised teachers to hire workers to work on their farms, instead of using pupils.
He had warned that any teacher caught using pupils for domestic chores would be sanctioned.
According to hi: “We gathered that some teachers in schools in rural areas have formed the habit of using pupils to work on their farms under the guise of doing agricultural practical. Some send female pupils to cook for them.
“We are warning the teachers to desist from such act. Our office will not hesitate to prosecute any teacher found abusing our children.”
“The government is not asking the teachers not to instil discipline. Government does not interfere in the running of schools, but we insist the pupils must participate in agricultural practical on the school farms. We will monitor the schools and whoever is found wanting will be sanctioned.
“We will follow the law to sanction teachers. If you take pupils home to go and cook for you, to work on your farms, we will invoke the law. We recognise the sacrifice of genuine teachers. We insist that nobody will take advantage of our children. Hire private hands to work on your farms. Whoever is caught will not find it funny.”
But the Ondo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), through the Chairman, Comrade Victor Akomo, said teachers no longer use pupils for domestic chores “in this digital age.”
He said: ”Teachers don’t do that again. We do not believe it is happening in our schools. We have extra lessons; there is no time for the pupils to go to any teacher’s home. It may be a speculation.
“We support the government to sanction any teacher caught.”
The Nation
