By Daniel Tyokua
Stakeholders in the education sector have called for reforms to strengthen teaching and learning in schools across the country.
They made the call separately at the 3rd National Leadership Training Workshop organised by the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The workshop, with the theme, “The Impact of Ethics and Attitudinal Change in Managerial Leadership,” focused on making the teaching profession and learning environment more attractive to teachers and learners.
The ASUSS National President, Mr Olusola Adigun, said the workshop was organised as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 World Teachers’ Day.
Adigun said the initiative was designed to move beyond the annual celebration of teachers to actionable capacity building aimed at equipping educators with skills to meet modern demands both inside and outside the classroom.
According to him, the initiative was also driven by the need for self-evaluation within the union and the broader education sector.
“ASUSS believes that you cannot give what you don’t have. If we have been complaining about the way society is looking down on us, then we too have to look inward,” he said.
He stressed that upgrading knowledge and embracing strong ethical standards were essential to becoming effective classroom instructors and educational managers.
Addressing ethical deficits reflecting on his previous tenure as the union’s Secretary-General, Adigun said nationwide visits revealed widespread lapses in professional ethics among educators.
“We have been complaining that we are not well respected, but respect begets respect. If you don’t carry yourself well, people will not respect you.
“Recognising this gap, the union’s secretariat recommended targeted leadership training to address these shortcomings, giving rise to the annual workshop series, which is now in its third edition over the past four years,” he said.
Adigun said while ASUSS remained committed to advocating for the welfare of its members, its mission also extended to promoting positive societal transformation through quality education.
“Our agitation is also for us to do the right thing and make the right contribution to society. We cannot give the best if we are not the best,” he added.
He explained that the union was prioritising executive and managerial training for its leaders to enable them to cascade effective management practices down to individual classrooms.
The Lead Speaker, Dr Adeola Faleye, Associate Professor of African Literature, Media, and Gender Studies, also stressed the need to enhance the teaching profession.
Faleye, of the Department of Linguistics and African Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, spoke about “60 years of standing with teachers”, stressing that beyond seeking improved welfare, teachers need to stand firm by improving on their image.
Speaking on ethical challenges in the country’s education system, the lecturer advised teachers to maintain integrity, embrace accountability and stand firm on their professional ethics.
“As a teacher, if you carry your image high and uphold the ethics of your profession, you will be respected by the school administration, the students and the society,” she said.
On his part, Mr Samuel Ojo of the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, urged school teachers to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance teaching and learning in schools.
Ojo, who spoke on “Technology, Professionalism and Ethics in the Digital Age” described AI as “an opportunity and a responsibility”.
“AI can support lesson planning, feedback, translation, accessibility, and administration.
“However, we must strike a balance between how it is being used and what it is being used for,” he said.
