Wale Jagun
Despite the challenges of 2020 with its adverse effects on education, teachers in the private school sector still have cause to give thanks to God being alive while also preparing themselves for better productivity.
Teachers, under the aegis of the Organisation for Proper Educational Development (OPED), held its thanksgiving/end of the year party with the theme, “All misfortune turns fortune; I am a victor”, held at Mother’s Choice Private School, Idowu Godigbo Street, Sabo area, Ikorodu, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020/
The interim President of OPED, Mr Lawal Babatunde, in his welcome address, thanked members for their commitment and dedication to the development of education despite the challenges of the year 2020.
“I welcome you all to the OPED stakeholders and teachers’ year 2020 thanksgiving party.
“This year has been tough and challenging for all and sundry, school owners, teachers as well as educational administrators who all have strived and worked harder despite the challenges COVID – 19 placed on the educational circle.
“Today has been a great success. As the association standing Governor, I am truly thankful to everyone who volunteered their time. I can tell that every person here is committed to helping, keeping this going strong; and it’s really inspiring to see”.
He thanked teachers for the extra efforts made in making their students/pupils grow.
Mr Akinmolu Moses Olusegun, a Deputy Director, Ministry of Education, who spoke on the theme of the event, said that teachers in the basic and primary classes are doing the most difficult and challenging job in building the pupils.
“The most difficult and challenging aspect of teaching is the Basic and Primary schools. Teachers in this sector are doing the most. They are the one that will prepare their pupils for secondary and tertiary education.
“Foundation of education is what these teachers are impacting on the pupils in Nursery/Basic and Primary school”, he emphasized”.
He also commended the private educational institution owners at Nursery/Primary, Secondary and University levels, stating that if not for private school owners, “our educational sector in the country would have collapsed because government doesn’t understand what to do again”.
“These are nation builders”.
He charged OPED members on how to be successful and quality teachers by developing effective communication systems in interacting with their pupils/students, ability and capacity to understand the subject they are teaching and the need for them to be friendly with their students.
The lecturer also charged on the need for teachers to be disciplined.
Mr Taiwo Hassan Awolaru, the treasurer of the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS) and a retired Head of Account, Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), in his remarks, said that teaching is an highly rewarding profession and charged teachers to be dedicated to it if they are to reap its benefit.
He said that teaching is a calling and that only those that are called and imbibed its principles understand and enjoy it.
“Teaching is a calling. Yes, not all teachers are called and those that are called are dedicated and committed to it because they are nation and tomorrow’s builders.
“As a proud chartered accountant, sportsman, administrator and civil servant, the background from where I derived all these is teaching”.
While emphasizing the need for teachers to keep developing themselves through training, Mr Awolaru also charged that teachers should develop capacity to manage their temperament towards their students.
Mr Tijani Abolaji, the Chief Education Officer of Ahead Private Schools, warned teachers against victimizing their pupils/students.
He emphasized his position with practical experience on how he was approached by his former student that he taught over 20 years ago and who lost interest in his subject because of his inability to understand her challenges.
He appealed to OPED members to always take out time to understand individual pupil/student for the purpose of given proper diagnosis and treatment.
The event was highly interactive as teachers engaged resource persons while there were lots of side attractions like questions and answers, dancing and others to make the thanksgiving event lively.
