1
AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY DR. KAYODE FAYEMI, THE GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE ON THE OCCASION OF THE YEAR 2011 WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY CELEBRATION HELD IN ADO-
EKITI ON WEDNESDAY, 5TH OCTOBER, 2011
PROTOCOLS
It is my pleasure to be here today on this great occasion of the World
Teachers’ Day Celebration. I am not just here to rejoice with our
teachers but as a co-celebrant, to identify with the practitioners of the
noble profession at this material time.
As you all know, the World Teachers’ Day is an initiative of the
UNESCO and has become an annual event when teachers all over the
world are celebrated in recognition of their inestimable contributions
to nation building. Let me say unequivocally that I closely associate
myself with the brains that instituted the Teachers’ Day in our
contemporary society as teachers still remain character moulders and
capacity builders in all ramifications.
I began to have much respect for teaching as a profession and for
teachers in this State almost immediately on assumption of office. It
might interest you to note that one of the first things I did in office
was to receive three (3) who came 2nd and two other who came 5th
respectively at the Year 2010 President’s Teachers’ and Schools
2
Excellence Award that was held in Abuja on 5th October,
2010. This is a clear indication that our teachers are not pushovers. It
is also worthy of note that a distinguished son of Ekiti, a retired
Principal and Tutor General, Mr. Kehinde Ojo won the Principal
Emeritus of Nigeria (PAN) Award in 2011. I salute you all for doing the
State proud.
The theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day Celebration, “Teachers
for Gender Equality” is obviously at tandem with the philosophy of my
administration on Women Empowerment and Gender Equality as
espoused in our 8 Point Agenda. This is a reminder to us all that gone
were the days when females were restricted to certain careers and
professions, when women were groomed for marriage and their roles
were reserved for the kitchen.
I wish to call on you, nation builders, to use your skills in promoting
gender equality among the students. The future of both the male and
female students is entrusted into your hands. I like to reinstate the
fact that paying closer attention to gender dynamics in the classrooms
is a good tool to ensure better teaching and learning for male and
female students. In this process, our education industry will be better
for it.
There is no gainsaying the fact that this country would have produced
many female Engineers, Pilots, Presidents, Governors, Architects and
3
other core professionals if the classroom conditions
had been so favourable to them. It is on this note that I wish to
enjoin you to give all our students equal attention in advising and
monitoring, revise curricular, if necessary, to include female
experiences and to include them in more than just stereotypical ways.
It is necessary to emphasize the need to discourage discussions from
becoming dominated by verbally aggressive male students. To
motivate the students and earn their trust, it is necessary to call them
by names while female students are given equal proportions of
assignment All these, among others, would help to further develop
their thought and equally encourage positive responses.
Statistics have shown that women are beginning to take their rightful
places across the global. Lagos State Judiciary is dominated by
females and the Igbos are worried about the fewer numbers of males
compared to females in their schools. The story in Ekiti State is also
changing. Today we have more females in public offices than ever
before. It is still the intention of this government to accord women
more recognition because of their sound character, intelligence and
diligence. Remember when you “train a man, you have only trained a
family but when you train a woman you have trained nation”.
I want to use the opportunity of this occasion to assure teachers of
the kind considerations by this government. The Government shall
continue to institute policies that will make the profession an envy of
4
others. I however want to call for your understanding
on our people focused policy directions. These policies are meant to
make you stand more firmly rooted in the sands of times. In this
government, please be assured that you will get all that legitimately
belong to you. We know you are principled, enlightened and
progressive minded. We know your worth and nothing will be done to
undermine your known integrity.
Distinguished Teachers, Ladies and Gentlemen, I congratulate you
most sincerely for this year’s Teachers’ Day Celebrations and wish
you more prosperous future celebrations
Thank you and God bless.