The chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta state, Friday Ovoke Warri has lamented what he called ‘high rate of absenteeism’ by teaching and non teaching staff of primary schools in the area.
The council chairman who discovered the level of absenteeism on Tuesday while an unscheduled visit to some schools in the local government condemned the stealing, destruction and vandalisation of government owned properties in the schools.
On a visit to the Ozah primary school, Oleh and Urie primary school Emede in company of council officials, Warri disclosed that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the council, shall take critical steps to teachers attitudes to work and other related matters affecting rural schools, especially where teachers had been transfered, they will work back their transfer.
Warri said, “For instance, Ozah primary school, has about 200 learners with over 48 teaching staff, whereas Umeh primary school and Ikpide-Irri primary school, both in the Isoko South council with over 170 learners and over 200 learners respectively, are under staff with only one teacher each. The council will no longer fold its arms and watch while school children in primary schools, especially those in deep rural areas lacked teachers while some schools in the local government headquarters are overstaffed.
“The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the council, will see a way to curb this menace. On the issue of the stealing and destruction of primary school properties, I must blame the community leaders, especially youth leaders, for the menace, all community leaders are duty bound to protect school properties in their communities. There is a trend that is going on in our schools that is giving me sleepless nights. This issue of stealing primary school properties in our schools is a serious problem, and we have to do something about it.
“This is becoming worrisome, and we are going to involve security agents to arrest any hooligan found engaging in destruction and stealing the primary school properties. To address these issues, we have to speak to our community leaders. They should know that they owe it as a duty to protect these facilities. Let’s see how we can discourage it. I have been to schools on one occasion, and I saw the way they destroyed facilities in the schools, and I was not pleased.
“You can see some of the windows in this primary school, Ozah primary school are no more, their water overhead tank stolen, including that of Urie primary school Emede. It cost the government a lot of money to provide them; we own it as a responsibility to protect government facilities and properties.”, Warri, frowned.
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