Ondo school principals call for stronger security and support staff

Secondary school principals in Ondo State have urged the state government to deploy more security personnel around public schools, saying inadequate protection is among the major challenges facing education in the state. Aminu Olugbenga, president of the Ondo State branch of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, made the call while speaking to journalists in Akure on Monday. Olugbenga said school infrastructure, equipment and students required adequate protection.

He also identified shortages of laboratory attendants, library assistants, secretaries to principals and information and communication technology teachers as urgent staffing gaps. He said the need for more ICT personnel had grown with the increasing importance of digital technology in education and school administration. According to him, public schools had experienced manpower shortages for more than 15 years because departing teachers were not adequately replaced after retirement, death and natural attrition.

Olugbenga nevertheless commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration for recruiting teachers for primary and secondary schools, rehabilitating schools and paying teachers’ salaries. He said the recruitment had provided relief and urged the government to sustain it until staffing gaps were addressed. The ANCOPSS president also praised the government and the State Universal Basic Education Board for ongoing renovation and rehabilitation projects.

He called for stronger cooperation among government, parents, old students, philanthropists, communities and development partners, saying government alone could not provide all resources needed by the sector. He said ANCOPSS would continue supporting measures intended to improve education in Ondo State.