… Harps on conducive environment for learning outcomes
Ekiti state Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Monday received the winner of National best teacher award, 2023, Mrs Elizabeth Adeyemi of SUBEB Model Nursery and Primary School, Omuo Ekiti in his office even as he restated the commitment of his administration to repositioning education sector in the state.
The repositioning, according to the Governor will include the provision of necessary impetus to improve infrastructure and environment in the drive to boost learning outcomes.
Governor Oyebanji, who also received the Principal of St. Louis Grammar School, who won the first runner up in the best public school category, Mrs Funmilayo Ibitoye, congratulated the award winners and assured that his government would continue to invest in education with particular emphasis on content, process and learning and teaching environment.
Governor Oyebanji stressed the need to prepare children for the challenges of the 21st century, stressing that infrastructural development remains an important ingredient in the development of the total child.
The Governor added that his administration would continue to pay due attention to the teaching profession to be able to bring the best out of it saying it is the only profession that could lift a nation out of the woods as all other professions were offshoot of teaching profession.
He urged the award winners to continue to work hard so as to win more laurels for the state.
“This speaks to our mantra of continuity, this foundation was laid and we are building on it, and we discover that human capital development is one of our six pillars and that is why we have a location. I believe strongly that we need to improve learning outcomes and the environment.
“I also believe that the best investment any government can have is to invest in education because it frees you from a lot of things. An educated society is a free society, it’s a game changer.
“So, I keep telling myself that when you want to intervene in education, you have to be concerned about three things, what you are teaching, how it is being taught and where its been taught. These speak to currency of the curriculum development, the teaching techniques and methodology and the environment
“By next year, we are going to into the environment of our schools to make them more pupils-friendly. We must have a template of how a school should look like, the teachers are extremely important to this and since we came on board, we have tried as much as possible to tackle the issue of the welfare of teacher and we will continue to build on the little achievements that we have made”, the Governor added.
Earlier, Mrs Adeyemi, who hailed the Governor’s strides in the education and human capital sector, said the Governor’s deliberate efforts at motivating Ekiti teachers has helped boost the morale of teachers and students in the state.
She said the best teachers award would spur her to put more efforts in ensuring positive impact in the lives of her pupils, stressing that she now believes that teachers’ reward is not only in heaven but also on this earth.
Mrs adeyemi commended the Governor for providing conducive learning and teaching environment in the school system, adding that the attention being given to education would achieve greater results for the state.