Allow TESCOM To Function Well To Ensure Quality Education, C’ttee Tells Govt.
THE Osun Education Summit Committee has asked the state government to allow the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) to function fully in line with the law that established it.
In its report, the committee recommended that TESCOM should have six zonal offices as against the current three to bring it nearer to schools for effective operation and oversight functions.
“The six zones should perform monitoring roles only, while TESCOM headquarters should focus on appointment, promotion and discipline of teachers”, said the committee in the report obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday.
The committee also recommended scrapping of Tutors General/ Permanent Secretaries, stating that there should be only one Permanent Secretary.
According to the committee, TESCOM has been rendered inactive.
The report reads in part: “Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) that is statutorily empowered to appoint, promote, discipline and pay salaries of teachers of secondary schools’ teachers has been rendered inactive due to wrong policy decision of previous administrations in the state.
“Teachers’ personal service files were scattered on the floor because TESCOM is not properly accommodated. Education Districts headed by Tutors General/ Permanent Secretary have usurped the functions of TESCOM Headquarters which had led to conflict of roles between TESCOM and District offices.
“TESCOM headquarters had no control over the Districts as the Tutors General/Permanent Secretaries were made to report to the Hon. Commissioner for Education instead of TESCOM Chairman.
“The nomenclature of Tutors General/ Permanent Secretaries should be abolished. There should be only one Permanent Secretary, while Tutor General should exist at zonal offices.
“While the title of Tutors General could continue to be conferred on deserving principals, the Tutors General should report to the Permanent Secretary at TESCOM Headquarters to give updated reports on what happened in zones.”
It also recommended the scrapping of Osun State Examination Board.
“Osun State Examination Board should be scrapped, and the conduct of BECE and common entrance examinations should be handled by evaluation unit of Ministry of Education, while unified examinations should be scrapped to allow teachers who teach the students to evaluate them.”
The committee recommended that the state government should set up a Bureau of Education Revampment to implement its recommendations and others in the report.
It said: “There are a lot of problems facing secondary education in Osun State as discussed, which have made the achievement of the aims and objectives of this level of education almost impossible, and which account for the dismal results obtained in WAEC and NECO examinations over the years.
“The summit committee has examined some of these problems and suggested ways of solving them as itemized in the recommendations. It is hoped that if the recommendations are implemented to the letter by the government, secondary education in Osun State will witness rapid positive transformations in not too distant future.
“It is therefore, recommended that the State Government should set up a Bureau of Education Revampment to implement these recommendations and others in this report.”
The committee also recommended establishment of school base governing council for maintenance and discipline.
“School-Based Governing Board should be set up to see to school maintenance and foster discipline among students. The board should be headed by a Chairman who could be a technocrat or successful business man/woman from school community. The board should include representatives of the old and current students, while the principal serves as the secretary.
“The composition of school-based Governing Board should be as follows: one respected individual who has affiliation with the school, representative of the Old Students Association, representative of the PTA, a community leader where the school is located, representative of the LIE., School prefect (boy/girl), the School principal who will serve as the Secretary to the Board.”
According to the committee, there is need to establish Osun education trust fund to address infrastructure deficit in the schools.
“Osun State Education Trust Fund should be established to address infrastructure deficits in schools. Its operations should be in the proposed Bureau of Education Revampment. There is a need to redistribute existing teachers to remove congestions in urban schools.
“There is the need for massive recruitment of teachers to fill existing vacancies in schools. Such teachers should work in their local government areas at least for five years before they could seek transfer.
“Recruitment, placement, promotion and transfer of teachers should be on merit, without any political influence or interference.”
Ismaeel Uthman is an Editor, Media Consultant with over 14 years experience in print journalism.
A consummate writer and reporter, Uthman has received accolades for his works, especially one that appeals for good governance and community development. He is a recipient of many laurels, including the Best Investigative Reporter (Print) Award of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council, in 2020.
