Cross River NAPTAN berates education commissioner for disruptive policies
The Cross River State chapter of National Parent Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) have appealed to the state Commissioner for Education, Senator (Dr.) Stephen Odey to re-consider the planned effort to sack the PTA employed teachers and security guards in public primary and secondary schools in the eighteen local government areas of the state.
NAPTAN which comprises of public, private and faith-based secondary, primary and nursery schools in Cross River State is made-up of sixty-nine teachers from all the state who were present in the meeting held on Wednesday 6th December, 2023 at the NYSC Secondary School, Calabar where a communiqué was issued following the short fall of man power in public secondary schools where in accordance with NAPTAN constitution (Article 17, Section 1, Subsection 8) is empowered to “supplement human resources: teachers, watchmen, cooks etc in public primary and secondary schools where vacancies exist.
However, the present Education Commissioner had written letters to primary and secondary heads directing them to withdraw services of PTA engaged teachers and security men, stressing that it is not the responsibility of PTA to engage their services in government secondary and primary schools even when there are not enough teachers and security men in government owned schools. This has impacted negatively on learning and security of the schools.
While fielding questions from newsmen in Calabar on Thursday December 7, 2023, the state NAPTAN Chairman, Prof. Boniface Odey who also doubles as National Treasurer and member Board of Trustees of the Association called on Odey to in the interest of the growth and development of education in Cross River State rescind his stand to guarantee a friendly education atmosphere for residents to enjoy the season of sweetness as envisioned by the Bassey Otu led administration.
Prof. Odey used the occasioned to appeal to the state Governor in accordance with his earlier promise, to pay indigent students’ WAEC/NECO fees and timely too, taking into cognizance the limited window period for the registration of students for 2023/2024 examinations. He stressed that between 2023 and 2025 when the Computer Based Tests (CBT) would be implemented, the government in collaboration with NAPTAN, Cross River State Chapter should ensure that all public secondary schools in the state are well equipped with computers.
It would be recalled that the State Commissioner for Education had suspended two secondary school principals at the West African Peoples Institute (WAPI) and State Housing Secondary school on the grounds of inappropriate levies of students.
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
