From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The former governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in Edo state, Bishop Akhalame, yesterday, picked holes in governor Obaseki’s reduction of five working days to three days to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on workers in the state, saying it would have a negative impact on the students/pupils.
Bishop Akalamhe said this in Benin in reaction to the governor’s directive of reducing five working days to three days for government establishment including schools.
He said though it is thoughtful of the government to approve three working days for workers including teachers but it would not help the education system in the state.
According to him, provision of bus as palliative stands a better option for teachers and students in this critical time than the approved three working days.
The former governorship candidate who is also indicating his interest to contest in the forthcoming election, said the development will be tantamount to nailing education to the cross by conditioning the students to three academic working days which will eventually form a habit that will metamorphose into a progressive lackadaisical attitude towards education.
He appealed to the Governor to have a rethink considering the low income level of some parents who are financially incapacitated to engage private tutors for their wards to manage the two days to the academic benefit of the children
“Increasing learning hours by two hours for junior secondary and one hour for basic schools will lead to brain stretching which will impede on academic performance of the students.
“According to research, the normal learning hours for a day is five to six hours otherwise, the brain become saturated and hit the line of the law of diminishing returns and can no longer absorb anything.
“Education is the bedrock of national development. We must protect the future of our children and that of our country. It is the key to success. It has worked for me and should not be trivialized”.
“To this end, I appeal to the Governor to approve bus as palliative for teachers and students which is a preferred alternative to the earlier approved three working days. This is for the future of our children and the state”.
Recall that governor Godwin Obaseki, had last week reduced the working days for civil servants in the state from five to three days and also increased the learning hours for junior and basic secondary schools by one and two hours respectively.