Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Renowned education advocate and Executive Director, Development Specs Academy, Professor Okey Ikechukwu, has called on governors in the South-East to consider the provision of incentives for teachers in order to boost education standards in the region.
Prof. Ikechukwu made the call while featuring as a guest speaker at the Ikengaonline June virtual TownHall meeting, adding that increased support and recognition of teachers’ efforts would help promote the culture of excellence in the area.
While recognising the importance of physical structures and other projects carried out in the education system, he said providing teachers with better incentives should be made paramount to motivate them towards delivering on their jobs.
“Many governors are building and painting new schools which is fantastic, but the mistake some of them are making is to refer to them as investment in education when what they do is investment in education infrastructure. It so because a new classroom can never teach a child how to spell the word boy or someone’s name.
“Teachers who are not being paid or paid well cannot be inspired to do well. That is the area we should focus our attention to ensure teachers do their jobs effectively,” he posited.
He also complained against the shift of emphasis in the recent times to the education of the girl child at the neglect and detriment of the boys, adding that it has contributed to the security crisis that is ravaging the region.
The professor stressed the importance of investing in the education sector and urged governors to prioritise education in their policies for the advancement of the region.
While speaking on “The Performance of South-East Governors and Citizens’ Accountability Demands,” he said accountability in governance has been overshadowed by the decaying morals and value system that thrived in the society.
He advocated for increased community engagement, cultural rebirth, values reorientation and regional reintegration to achieve a better governance system in the South-East.
