Proprietors of private primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been enjoined to invest on their teachers training and retraining with a view to guaranteeing quality education for students in their respective schools.
Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, made the appeal at the 5th anniversary of Doveland International Schools held at the Merit House Maitama, Abuja, on Saturday, just as he called on schools to run an inclusive education for pupils with special needs.
He said one of the major challenges private schools “have is the quality of teachers who are highly mobile,” and, therefore, urged them to invest in their teachers as well as supporting their professional development “so that they can be committed to the institution.”
His said: “The achievement of excellence in any educational institutions is dependent on the quality of the teaching – learning process. This is because the teachers are the ones that interpret and communicate the curriculum to pupils.
“Teachers acts as role models to the pupils and transmit societal values from generation to generation. For this reason, it is imperative for schools to recruit and invest in developing teachers who can communicate the curriculum and manage classroom of the 21st Century effectively.”
He also called on the proprietors to provide adequate remuneration to encourage the teachers.
“For a teacher to be retained, the school should also provide the professional support, tools and remuneration to ensure the teacher does not migrate to greener pastures.”
He emphasised that education was the right of a child that every parent and care giver were demanded to give the children under their watch.
Earlier, in her remarks, Executive Director, Doveland International School, Mrs. Tina Chukwu, said it indeed an honour to be entrusted by parents with the responsibility of ensuring the educational growth of the children who were moving from one class to the other after brilliant performance in their respective classes.
She said the job was challenging but inspiring as the children progress through the processes especially in developing their unique talents that would define their future, adding that the reward is beyond compare.
The highpoint of the event was the pupils’ drama presentation on the spate of killings across the country.
They called on the federal government and the religious leaders to stop what they described as “madness.”
