By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Senator Stephen Adi Odey, has given reasons why he and his team opted for disciplinary action against truant teachers in some of schools they paid unscheduled visit to in Odukpani and other local government areas of the state.
Odey made the remarks while answering questions from our correspondent during a telephone chat in Calabar yesterday.
He said disciplinary action against the erring teachers was not a witch-hunt but to ensure that everyone one does his or her job diligently to improve the standards of education that the Otu’s administration is out to improve.
He stressed that the sanction will make indisciplined teachers to sit up or put an end to truancy, describing truancy as an act of indiscipline that should not be tolerated.
Odey stated that the decisive move with his team was to enforce discipline and improve the standards of educational which had almost fallen.
Accompanied by top officials from the education ministry, including the Director of Special duties, Mr. Cyril Itam, and the Director of Quality Assurance, Mrs. Ngozi Offiong, Odey began the unscheduled visit at 7:45 am at St. Patrick Primary School, Adiabo.
At Atimbo secondary School, the team discovered that only one teacher, Mrs. Vivian Edim Edet, was present in school out of 35 teaching staff.
Commending Mrs. Edet for her dedication to duty, the commissioner immediately ordered that earring teachers be queried, even as he ordered them to report at the education ministry headquarters in Calabar without delay on Monday, February 24, to explain why they disappeared from their duty post during work hour.
At the Government Primary School, New Netim, in Akamkpa Local Government Area the team found only two teachers on duty out of 18 teachers who were supposed to be on duty.
He said, “This is an act of irresponsibility and laziness on the part of the teachers who were not at their duty post.”
Ordering that they equally queried, he also order that they report at the Calabar headquarters of the Ministry of Education.
The commissioner threatened to deal decisively with those found wanting during the surprised visit to their schools.
He averred, “Governor Bassey Otu is passionate about transforming the education sector. Therefore, all stakeholders must align with the government’s efforts to deliver quality education to every child in Cross River State.”
