The primary goal of education is to prepare students for success in adult life. Since education helps to attain success in adult life, it implies that the rate of development of any given society is dependent on the quality of accessible mass education which includes the quality of workforce in the education sector, and also the mass education curriculum.
The education curriculum helps to shape the public perception of success. Success in adult life could mean the following:
1. Nurturing passions
2. Developing problem solving abilities
3. Developing higher level thinking skills, including critical thinking and creativity
4. Attaining higher social status
5. Developing virtues
The human brain functions like a parachute. A parachute saves life only when deployed . Education opens the human brain to a world of possibilities. A teacher, therefore is the most valuable asset to any society to help students acquire knowledge, competence and virtues.
Good secondary schools teachers like the ones in Enugu are excellent communicators, patient, highly disciplined, very committed and have made Enugu state proud by ensuring that Enugu state students were rated best performing students in Nigeria in WAEC results by the National Bureau of Statistics.
The chairman of PPSMB *Dr Favour Ugwuanyi mni FCISM*, credited the motivation of teachers to prompt payment of salaries, emoluments, release of promotions and lastly huge investment of the state govt in renovation of schools, acquisition of modern teaching aids and installation of ICT equipment by the governor Ugwuanyi.
Dr Favour Ugwuanyi mni*FCISM*, stated that Enugu state also went further to produce best performing student in CBT exams in Nigeria. To further inspire higher level of performance by the teachers, the chairman of the Post Primary School Management Board (PPSMB), Dr Mrs Favour Ugwuanyi mni and the PPSMB Board Members organized a first of its kind *TEACHERS SUMMIT* on January 21, 2023 at Okpara Square to X-ray the role of teachers in nation building.
The teachers summit had about 8000 teachers and over 3000 non teaching staff in attendance, which created a mammoth crowd. To underscore, the importance of teachers in nation building, Enugu state is the first and only state that held a teachers summit in Nigeria till date.
The keynote speaker in the TEACHERS SUMMIT, Prof Chinedu Nebo, former Minister of Power and former Vice chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka took his time to remind the teachers that the quality of work force in any country is dependent on the quality of teachers and the teaching environment. He said that the highly skilled and revered professionals started as students in schools as such medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, scientists, political leaders and captains of industries, entrepreneurs, etc are products of teachers.
A second speaker, Engr Donald Chukwuanyi , An academic development consultant and consultant to SKILLFEST, presented a paper on TEACHERS WITH A GLOBAL IMPACT. He stressed on the influence of technology in creating virtual courseware that assists students within and outside of the conventional classroom. He made reference to leading virtual schools like COURSERA that allow students to learn various courses through the internet.
By this, he said a good teacher makes an impact across borders from the comfort of his teaching post using technology. He advised the teachers to leverage on the govts investment in ICT to improve their skills for global impact.
His Lordship, Rt Rev Chinedu Nwoye, also presented a paper on TEACHERS CONSCIOUSNESS FOR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY. He reminded the teachers that they need to participate in elections as part of their civic responsibility to help choose education friendly political leaders. He said that failure to vote is a protest against good governance.
The PDP guber candidate, Dr Peter Mba also made remarks on his plans to enhance public education using technology and improve on the achievements of the governor Ugwuanyi.
While addressing the teachers, Governor Ugwuanyi reminded them that he too passed through public school as such he made huge investments in public education and the results are impressive.
The Teachers for Good Governance, an arm of the PPSMB made endorsements and promised to massively support the senatorial bid of governor Ugwuanyi and the gubernatorial election of Dr Peter Mba, both of the PDP. Teachers are great, No controversy filled the air as the jubilant teachers danced to gospel music with the Governor Ugwuanyi.
