11th November, 2013
Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government has sanctioned four principals, three vice principals and two teachers in Lagos public schools over corrupt practices and dereliction of duties.
The various sanctions meted out on the principals and others ranged from demotion, transfer, deferment of promotion and stern warning for contravening approved promotion criteria for public secondary schools and mutilation of student’s report cards.
A Statement issued by the State Ministry of Education explained that the decision to punish the teachers was taken after an emergency Personnel Board Meeting of the Education District III, Falomo and was meant to serve as a deterrent to others who might flout the State’s policy on promotion criteria in the future.
The affected teachers, all from the Education District III are: Mrs. A. A. Ogunsina , a grade level 17 Officer and the Principal of Dolphin Junior High School, Lagos Island; Mr. O. F. Talabi, the Vice Principal (Academics) of Dolphin Junior High School; Mrs. R. O. Adebara, Vice Principal (Academic) and the Acting Principal of Girls Senior Academy; Mr. Joshua A. Afolabi, Principal, Ebute Elefun Senior High School and Mrs. Abigail Makanjuola, Principal, Girls Junior Academy.
Others are Mrs. Falilat Shodipe, the Vice- Principal of Girls Junior Academy; Mrs. Muninat Rafiu, a class teacher at Girls Junior Academy; Mrs. O. A. Fajulagbe, Principal, Dolphin Senior High School and Mr. Olaniyi Bada, a class teacher at Dolphin Senior High School.
According to the statement, the Principal of Dolphin Junior High School, Mrs. A. A. Ogunsina was found guilty of abdicating her duty to her Vice Principal (Academics), Mrs O. F. Talabi who in turn unilaterally promoted some students with passes in English or Mathematics instead of credit which contravened the approved promotion criteria.
Mrs. R. O. Adebara, the Vice Principal (Academics) who also acts as the Principal of Girls Senior Academy, Lagos Island was also found guilty of promoting some students with pass in Mathematics or English on compassionate ground in contravention of the approved government promotion criteria, a decision that did not cut across board as some students with the same scores were not promoted.
The government added that Mr. Joshua Afolabi, the Principal of Ebute Elefun Senior High School admitted to promoting some students who had passes in English or Mathematics on trial on humanitarian grounds for the fact that such students had five or six credits.
Also, Mrs. Abigail Makanjuola, the Principal of Girls Junior Academy, Lagos Island was found guilty of abdicating her duties to her Vice Principal, Mrs. Falilat Shodipe who was subsequently directed by the Principal to raise the scores of students in English and Mathematics.
Mrs. Muminat Rafiu, a class teacher at Girls Junior Academy, Lagos Island and Mrs. O. A. Fajulugbe, the Principal of Dolphin Senior High School, Lagos Island as well as Mr. Olaniyi Bada, a class teacher also at Dolphin Senior High School, Lagos Island were all found guilty of mutilating students’ report cards