World Teachers’ Day: AbdulRazaq rewards 61 teachers
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday joined the global community to celebrate teachers, calling them the centrepiece of his administration’s transformative agenda in the education sector.
Not less than 61 teachers drawn from every part of the state and across different stages of education got awards of excellence.
The awards came with varying expensive gifts, which the governor called a token of appreciation for those who mould the future of the next generation with their sweats, expertise, and patience.
The governor also reassured teachers of government’s continuous commitment to their welfare, including addressing all pending issues in phases.
The governor said: “If there is anyone that we are obliged to honour and celebrate, that is the teacher. On that note, I thank all of you for your efforts, sacrifices, and commitments.
“The World Teachers’ Day is the idea of UNESCO in line with the 1966 Recommendations on the Status of Teachers across the world.
“The theme of this year’s anniversary speaks directly to us in Kwara State. Our huge investments in the education sector are closely tied to teachers and school heads. You are the key drivers of the transformation that we seek.
“As we commit billions of naira to improve the learning environment, we are similarly funding the multibillion naira KwaraLEARN programme which seeks to improve the capacity of our teachers and boost learning outcomes for our children.
“Between 2019 and now, we have ensured prompt payment of salaries unlike before. The implementation of the minimum wage has raised the size of what we take home every month. We have similarly reduced the backlogs of promotion arrears. Training and retraining is more constant today.
“For those at the basic schools, we are already addressing the disparities in the salary as we recently pointed out. More will be done to address your genuine concerns.”
The governor again had a no-holds-barred interactive session with teachers, where the latter commended his strides in the sector and urged him to bridge the pay gaps between teachers of junior and secondary schools in the state.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry or Education and Human Capital Development Mrs Mary Adeosun
appreciated the governor for hosting the teachers in the State on this year’s celebration and for according their welfare a top priority at all times.
She said the awards for teachers is a reflection of the governor’s regard for teaching profession and his conviction that teachers play an important role to build the society, asking them to reciprocate the government’s kind gesture with higher performance.
NUT Chairman, Oyewo Bashiru Ayinde paid glowing tributes to the governor’s commitment to the education sector, workers’ welfare, and urged him to do more.
