L-R: A primary four pupil of SUBEB Model Nursery and Primary School, Ikole-Ekiti, Precious Ogunlade; Wife of the state Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; and Beloved Uba, shortly after the governor's wife taught the class reading and methods of assimilation of knowledge during the 'Reading Parents' initiative of the State Universal Basic Education Board.
Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has blamed the poor performance of secondary school students in final examinations on weak foundations at the primary school level.
She said this in an address after teaching pupils of SUBEB Model Nursery and Primary School, Ikole-Ekiti, on methods of reading and assimilation of knowledge during the ‘Reading Parents’ programme.
The First Lady had earlier donated hundreds of dictionaries to the school before reading from Module 19 of Macmillan New Primary English textbook with primary four pupils of the school.
The RP is an initiative of the State Universal Basic Education Board aimed at encouraging parents and other members of the public to be actively involved in the education of children from the primary school level.
The Chairman of SUBEB, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, had explained that the programme would be sustained to revive the dying reading culture and enhance the standard of education in the state.
The governor’s wife emphasized that primary education prepares students for future performance, which made it obligatory for parents to pay more than a passing interest in the reading and learning culture of their children at that level.
She used the opportunity to admonish parents against sending their girl-child to the streets to hawk during the school hours, stressing that the state government had put in place the enabling environment for free education.
Erelu Bisi Faymi reminded the gathering of the Laws of the state, which prescribes punishment for parents of children caught hawking on the streets when they were supposed to be in school.
She also expressed concern that paedophiles might prey on such children and impregnate them because of their vulnerability. The governor’s wife also cautioned male teachers against sexually harassing or exploiting the female pupils.
She said, “We have embarked on massive campaign to discourage this unwholesome practice that is capable of mortgaging the future of these innocent children.
“Let me remind you that we have the Child Right Act and other child-friendly Laws in place that protect the rights of our children. Most of the cases of teenage pregnancy have been traced to this type of attitude by parents.
“When you send your female children to the streets to hawk, it provides opportunity for randy men to lure them into illicit sex. And any teacher found to have sexually harassed the female pupils will face the music.
“It becomes a matter of regret when these teenagers are impregnated, because you spend more money nursing the pregnancy that the little resources you ought to have spent to support their education.”
She, however, warned that such paedophiles would not go unpunished; adding that those found to be begging for leniency on their behalf would equally face the full wrath of the law for aiding and abetting them.
In an interview, Precious Jemileyin and Chioma Chidozie, who were outstanding during the session, said the coming of the First Lady and her words of advice would encourage them to be more committed to their study.
Last modified: March 28, 2013
