The Lagos State government has charged the newly recruited teachers in the state to take their jobs with utmost commitment and contribute meaningfully to the progress of teaching service as well as the education development of the state generally.
The chairman of the state’s Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mrs Victoria Peregrino, gave the charge on Tuesday at the opening session of the ongoing induction programme organised for them by the commission.
The new teachers are fresh graduates, numbering 1,000 in all across subjects and with a preference for STEM courses to replace the exited teachers across the state-owned secondary schools in the six education districts.
The four-day programme, with participants split into three centres-Ikeja, Oshodi and Ikorodu- is holding simultaneously with the same message being preached.
Delivering a keynote address at the Ikeja centre, on the theme, ‘Empowering educators for outstanding learner performance’, Mrs Peregrino said the state government is expecting much from the new teachers by performing optimally in their new roles, hence the essence of the induction programme to prepare their minds towards government expectations as they joined the state workforce.
She informed them that they all have the opportunity to rise across ranks on the job including to the position of a tutor-general/permanent secretary or board member of the commission once they merit those positions.
“That is why I’m seeking your total cooperation and civility in all you do and you must also be technically savvy to fit into the 21st-century best practices,” she stressed
According to her, the induction programme has been a tradition for newly recruited teachers since 2019 when TESCOM was inaugurated and this is in line with the goals of the current administration in the state wherein quality education becomes the focal point that ensures learners receive life-transforming instructions and guide for competence, confidence and effectiveness.
“So, this induction and other on-the-job capacity-building training you will be engaged in will enable you to effectively build a productive educational system that can produce learners that will compete favourably with their peers anywhere globally more so that the world has moved from industrial to a knowledge economy.
The chairman, however, expressed appreciation to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his strong support to lift the state teaching service and also reward exceptional teachers on a yearly basis with highly valuable gifts including houses and cars.
She said the support is really yielding tremendous results.
In her welcome address earlier, the permanent secretary of the commission, Mrs Iyabo Seriki-Bello, also urged the inductees who have been distributed to schools across the six education districts of the state, to demonstrate their expertise to produce future-ready and fit-for-purpose learners.
She said that is the only way they can justify their appointments into the state teaching service, emphasising the importance of quality learning to socio-economic prosperity.
She declared that all the inductees were not only recruited on merit as they passed through various rigorous tests ranging from essay writing, and mini teaching practice to oral interview but that they convinced the commission that they are truly passionate about the job and willingly came into the teaching profession and not by force.
She wished them well and encouraged them to always seek and be open to new knowledge that will enhance their performances on the job and also in other lawful engagements.
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