By PETER OKUTU
National President, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, Chief Adeniyi Falade, has noted with dismay the rising catalogue of poor quality of teachers that pervade the country’s institution of learning.

According to him, the present trend remains unacceptable for a country that wishes to accelerate its developmental capacity.

He hinged the crux of the hitch on the best brains turned out by the institutions preferring to take up mouth-watery jobs with multi-national companies instead of taking up teaching as a profession. He, however, appealed to the federal government to ensure that the take-home pay of teachers across the country was lucrative enough to attract prospective scholars into the profession.

Falade, who spoke at the opening ceremony of the National Executive Council meeting of ANCOPSS held in Abakaliki, weekend, observed that the budgetary provisions for the education sector had remained far below the needs and requirements of the sector.

He also opined that improved welfare packages for teachers would increase their productivity quotient.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the group recommended that “the teaching profession should be made more attractive.

“In particular, the wide gulf of difference in the welfare and salary packages of the different cadre of workers in the public service should be addressed immediately.

“Professionalization of teaching in all ramifications will afford teachers the impetus to discharge their duties in the most ethical manner.”

“Teacher training should be re-packaged and addressed to produce morally upright and intellectually sound teachers.

“School should be provided with adequate staff, teaching and learning facilities to ensure quality education. The school environment is crucial in molding the values, character and intellect of children.

“The success and failure of the education sector should be seen as the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.”