The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Olayinka Oladunjoye, has said that state government will continue to embark on programmes and activities that will lead to the improvement of its teachers and students.
Oladunoye stated this in Lagos on Tuesday at the Annual Education Merit Award ceremony wherein no fewer than 57 awardees ranging from students, teachers, principals, schools and staff were honoured and presented with gift items.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of brand new cars to the best teacher in both the secondary and primary schools categories.
The Commissioner opined that education remains one of the greatest change agents in any society as it ensures the transmission of positive core values from one generation to another.
She said this was why teachers remain the strongest tool in the delivery of qualitative and standard education in the world.
Oladunjoye said: “Let me assure you that the state government will continue to embark on programmes and activities that will lead to the improvement of our teachers and our students ultimately.
“I therefore wish to urge all stakeholders in the education sector to continue to support the State Government in pursuit of a brighter and rewarding future for our children in the hope of a greater and prosperous nation for us all.”
She pointed out that the objectives of the annual award are to recognize and reward deserving public schools, teachers, principals, students/pupils and personnel in the education sector for their hard-work, high performance, high productivity and achievement in their fields of endeavours.
She added that government places high premium on the welfare of its staff and students with a view to enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in order to bring out the best in them.
Oladunjoye said: “Let me say that it therefore gives me a great pleasure and excitement to share in the joy of today as our practice of rewarding handwork and dedication in the sector has come to stay.
“I recall that the State Government introduced the Annual Education Merit Award as part of its reform programme in the sector to motivate teachers and schools in order to improve productivity in furtherance of Government’s commitment to quality education delivery and the ideals of excellence in service.”
The Commissioner said nine of the recipients at the award will have to compete with their counterparts from other states of the federation for the President’s Teachers and Schools Excellence Awards later this year in Abuja, adding that within the last two years alone, two Principals from the state – Ayodele Abiodun Ayerin of Vetland Senior Secondary School, Agege and Emmanuel Olu Adebiyi of Iju Junior Grammar School, Iju – have both won the National Award and in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
She urged all the awardees to keep up the good work of contributing positively to the development of education in the state just as she admonished other members of staff in the sector who were not honoured at this year’s event to continue to discharge their duties to the best of their abilities in order to be so honoured in subsequent editions.
Oladunjoye expressed the state government’s profound gratitude to all organizations and individuals who contributed immensely towards the success of the award ceremony.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, who is also the former Head of Service in Lagos State, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, commended the State Government for keeping faith with the Lagos State workforce and enjoined teachers in the state to take full advantage of the different reforms going on in order to enhance their productivity.
Ogunlewe noted that the award ceremony is strong evidence that the state government is blazing the trail in Human Resource Management, hence he urged the awardees to continue to put in their best while he called on those who did not get award not to be discouraged but to continue to work hard as it would soon be their turn to be rewarded.
Funmilayo Akinlade of African Church Primary School, Mosan, Alimosho emerged as the Best Teacher in the primary school category, while Bose Deji-Oderinde of Wesley Girls’ Junior Secondary School, Yaba emerged as the Best teacher in the secondary school category.
The duo were presented with the keys to their brand new cars by Oladunjoye.
Fifty-five other awardees ranging from students, teachers, principals, schools and staff were also honoured with different gift items such as freezer, refrigerators, television set among others.