By Our Correspondent
The attention of the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, Nigeria (ASUSS), Ogun State chapter has been drawn to the growing lawless invasion of our public schools and the subsequent attacks and brutalization of our colleagues and in some reported cases, the destruction of schools' property and indeed those belonging to members of staff. We have it on good authority and records that in the last three (3) weeks, no less than TEN of such invasions and attacks of schools have been reported.
The latest of such took place just yesterday at 10.45am at Community High School, Ijoun, Yewa North when teachers were not only molested but were assaulted, leaving them with various degrees of injuries and traumatized. The growing apprehension and psychological effects of these attacks on our colleagues have necessitated this public outcry by the Union. We have come to the conclusion that if urgent steps are not taken by concerned authorities: the government, PTA leadership, parents, the media (social and mainstream) and especially our law enforcement agencies, we may not be able to avert the impending crisis in the sector.
ASUSS is not unaware that these invasions, attacks and destructions are the results of the collapse of our core values. It is shocking to imagine that such treatment will be the rewards and compensation for the noble works of teachers. For ASUSS, the perpetrators of this dastardly act have only confirmed that the education sector is sick and therefore calls for declaration of a State of Emergency by our Government. Or how does one reconcile the situation where students and teachers will now be learning and teaching under palpable fear, when we are not in a war zone?
Without an attempt to throw away the baby with the bath water, our Union is aware that some of these attacks might have been provoked by high-handedness on the part of a few of our colleagues, but for the perpetrators to have taken the laws into their hands is equal to meeting lawlessness with lawlessness. Such unguided decision will only reduce our state and indeed the school system to the animal kingdom.
Distinguished Colleagues, to avert the situation from descending into anarchy, the Organized Labour was in a meeting with government yesterday where issues bordering on workers' welfare and sundry interests were looked into. ASUSS siezed the opportunity to inform His Excellency and his team of this spate of attacks.
His Excellency expressed his displeasure at the ugly incidents and he assured the entire teachers in the state that Government would convene a security meeting immediately where the Community Development Association (CDA) and all other stakeholders would be present with a view to forestalling a recurrence.
On our own part, we have scheduled a meeting with the leadership of the PTA for today, Tuesday 26th October, 2021, after which a Communique will be issued and communicated to appropriate quarters.
In the meantime, while we await Government's intervention, ASUSS:
1. Condemns in strong terms these ugly incidents and seeks urgent attention by the state government to end them as it may not be able to stop teachers from taking the laws into their hands when and if their lives continue to be under constant threats.
2. Calls on the leadership of the Parents-Teachers-Association in the state to join hands with school administrators (ANCOPSS) in bringing order and peace to our schools. The leadership of the PTA should call parents to order.
3. Urges our colleagues to always administer punishment with the content of the Article 11 of the Child Rights Act that says: "Every Child is entitled to his or her respect for the dignity of his person and no child shall be subjected to torture, inhuman / degrading treatment," at the back of their minds at all times. We should not forget in a hurry our roles as *in loco parentis*, while the children are in the school. So, their mental, psychological, physiological, and emotional stabilities should be our utmost priority and concern. We are SMITHS, so, patience and calmness will be needed to REFORM many of our students because society, with its many ills, is willing to make our job appear impossible.
4. Calls on our law enforcement agencies to provide adequate response in the event of any break down of order within any of our public schools in the state. They should provide urgent response at the slightest distressed calls.
5. Apart from the immediate arrest of perpetrators and the brains behind this latest occurrence, ASUSS seeks appropriate prosecution and sanction of perpetrators, and their sponsors to serve as deterrent for others.
In the event that the Government cannot provide security and safety to our colleagues in the shortest possible time, ASUSS will be left with no choice but to call out its members to stay away from their various schools until order and normalcy are restored.
We are in office to guarantee the welfare, safety and security of our members in the first instance. And until such is guaranteed by our employer, we will not rest.
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