ASUSS president advocates private sector funding for secondary schools

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Sola Adigun, has called on the organised private sector to support the funding of secondary school education.

Adigun made the call in a statement made available to our reporter on Friday in Osogbo.

It was reported that Adigun, who is the current Chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Ekiti State, was recently elected the president of ASUSS at its National Delegates Conference in Abuja.

The ASUSS national President said that the funding, which would be directly managed by the organised private sector, should be essentially directed towards improving laboratories in secondary schools and support for manpower development.

“What we are saying is that the organised private sector should support the growth of secondary school education in the country.

“This is because of its indispensable role in the training of middle class artisan manpower and serving as major bridge to tertiary education.

“The most important manpower in any developing economy are technicians, artisans and middle class skilled labour who have just basic education.

“This category of labour force which is usually produced by secondary schools is what most economies required to stimulate production.

“Our approach to it is a new paradigm; rather than giving money to government, or spending huge resources on showbusiness and talent hunts, the most rewarding place to look at is the secondary school sector.

“Such willing corporate organisation can adopt a school and equip its laboratory, while it can also support the teaching staff with modern teaching aids, particularly laptops and other 21st century research devices,” he said.

Adigun, however, urged secondary schools teachers in the country to support the association to achieve its objectives.

The ASUSS President commended his predecessors, Sam Omaji and the pioneer President, Chief Osaruyi Faluyi, for their roles in advancing the course of the Union, with a promise to consolidating on their achievements for a strong and formidable union.