Govt tells teachers to stop using students as farm labourers | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
11th November 2020
The Ondo State government has warned teachers in government-owned public schools against using pupils and students as domestic workers in their private homes and farms.
This comes amidst reports and allegations that teachers in government-owned public schools in the state use them in such manners.
While admonishing teachers involved in the act under the guise of agricultural studies practicals, the state government vowed to severely sanction anyone caught.
The Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Special Duties, Doyin Odebowale who frowned at the development, during a press briefing in Akure, said the teachers should engage the services of those suitable to work on their farms instead of using pupils and students.
Odebowale disclosed that some teachers in schools, particularly in rural areas of the state were in the habit of using male pupils as labourers on their private farms while some send female pupils to cook in their houses.
“We will follow the law to sanction teachers. If you take pupils home to go and cook for you, to work in your private farms. We will invoke the law. We recognised the sacrifice of genuine teachers. We insist that nobody will take advantage of our children. Hire private hands to work in your farms. Whoever is caught will not find it funny.”
Describing the allegations against its members as unfounded, the Ondo chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT said such acts no longer exist particularly in the current digital age.
The State Chairman of the NUT, Comrade Victor Akomo who urged that any teacher caught should be sanctioned said “We have extra lessons and no time for the pupils to go to any homes. It might be speculation.