ASUBEB Boss Warns Headteachers Against Organised Truancy with Ghost Teachers

By Praise Chinecherem

Executive Chairman, Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), Awka, Dr. Vera Nwadinobi has charged headteachers to eschew organised truancy with lousy and ghost teachers who connive with them (headteachers) to absent themselves from school with the hope of sharing their monthly salaries.

Nwadinobi gave the charge at the first quarter management meeting with critical stakeholders of ASUBEB including Officers-in-charge, Headteachers, School Bursars of basic public-public Schools in the State held at the ASUBEB headquarters, Awka.

She also charged the headteachers to render proper account of the running costs of N50,000 and N1,500 per learner paid into the school account.

She said the meeting was aimed at reminding the Headteachers of the Governor’s expectations of them to follow due process in utilising and retiring the funds provided for them.

She said, “In pursuant of the Anambra State government’s free education policy, Mr Governor had extended the free education policy to senior secondary schools and promised to give school principals N100,000 running costs with an additional N2000 per student.

“This development implies that the government foots the cost of all activities in the school including orientation, career conventions, inter-house sports, science and technology competitions, sports, diary and registers among others.

“The activities must therefore be carried out without excuse, and on no account must any child be levied according to the directive.”

While stressing that the condition for receiving the running costs remained a monthly retirement and supply of updated population of learners, Madam ASUBEB explained that the management meeting was to drum the instructions into the ears of the Headteachers and the Local Government Education Authority Officers-in-charge.

“The activities must therefore be carried out without excuse, and on no account must any child be levied according to the directive

She further underscored the importance of using the unified teaching modules launched in September, 2024 to ensure uniformity in the use of curriculum in the state.

“We also need to know that the 15 skills proposed by the Federal Government is part of the new curriculum for schools to be incorporated in the entrepreneurial classes,” she added.

While updating the Headteachers on ‘home grown feeding for schools’, Nwadinobi observed that some fraudsters were already collecting illegal fees from prospective cooks, urging them to clarify any information with ASUBEB Social Mobilization Department, SOMO, to avoid erring.

“All Headteachers must sit up, be accountable and work diligently because in the solution government, there is no room for by-standers, eyes are continuously on you to ensure good governance and efficient service delivery.

“Anyone who cannot cope should honourably resign”, she stressed.

Other significant directives for the stakeholders include the need for online registration to ensure accuracy of data about the pupils and teachers; the mandate for ICT teachers to utilize the Tablets provided by the State Government to facilitate data collection and analysis; and the replacement of report cards with online results as part of the implementation of the Governor’s digitalization policy among others.

The meeting ended with the signing of an undertaking to be diligent in their duties
beginning from punctuality and meeting up with deadlines, as a breach of the signed undertaking would lead to stepping down of the culprit and handing over to the next in command.

In attendance were Board Secretary, Hon. Ebele Mgbemena, Board Members and Directors of Departments, among others.