His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Azinge, Charges Teachers To Be Role Models To Children Under Their Tutelage

Teachers have been charged to appreciate the enormity of task before them as role models to their pupils and students.

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, gave the charge when a delegation of the Association of Asaba Indigenes in the Unified Teaching Service of Delta State paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.

The Asagba, who is a Professor of Law and a Fellow of the National Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (FNIALS), identified the school as an agent of socialisation where the character of children is moulded, pointing out that after the family, the school was the next in that responsibility.

He explained that children ordinarily looked up to their teachers for direction because they believed that they were more knowledgeable and responsible, expressing concern about the increase in social vices in the schools, including drug addiction and cultism, which could be traced to the failure of teachers to live up to their responsibility.

While saying that teachers were circumscribed by the moral decadence of the children under their tutelage, Asagba Prof Azinge emphasized that ensuring progressive students’ academic performance and raising children who would be looked up to as beacons of hope in the future should be the target of every teacher.

His Royal Majesty noted that most schools in Asaba had overcrowded classrooms, which hindered effective teaching and learning, saying that the best way to rank a school was by its. student – teacher ratio.

On the request by the association for the posting of indigenous Head Teachers and Principals to some of the schools in Asaba, the Asagba maintained that it did not matter to him, stressing that he would rather go for a non-indigenous School Head who would promote excellence in his school.

Asagba Prof Azinge said he was abreast of the challenges of the schools in Asaba and would soon move to confront them, pointing out that he would want to be personally involved in raising the standard of education in his Kingdom because of the seriousness it deserved.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Chairman of the association, Mr. Ngozi Odiaka, said the objectives of the body were to promote the welfare of indigenous teachers, foster cohesion among members, ensure the promotion of Asaba cultural heritage, as well as ensure the provision and protection of basic infrastructure in the indigenous schools.

Mr Odiaka urged the Asagba to assist in facilitating the posting of a Head Teacher and Principal to Asagba Primary School and Asagba Mixed Secondary School, Asaba, to promote the teaching of Asaba culture in the schools.