*EKITI SPEAKER ARIBASOYE DONATES SUPPORT MATERIALS TO SCHOOLS* ...SAYS ASSESSMENTS WILL GUIDE EDUCATION RELATED LEGISLATIONS. The Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye says the state legislature will aggregate necessary discoveries and assessments of schools to guide its legislative decisions. Aribasoye who embarked on a 48 hour tour of public schools within his Ikole Constituency Two on Thursday identified the need for more interventions in schools situated in rural areas just as he demanded for more commitment to work on the part of teachers posted to such areas. The Speaker whose visit to the schools was unannounced had the opportunity of making a detailed and objective appraisal of facilities and personnel as well as the disposition of students and staff to their studies and duties. The first port of call was Saint Mark's Anglican Primary School, Imila, Odo Ayedun where the speaker had his primary education in the early 80s. The teachers and pupils warmly welcomed the speaker and his team and retrospection was shared with cogent interactions established on issues bordering on the progress of the school. The Speaker equally visited Odundun High School also in Odo Ayedun; Fiyinfolu High School, Oke Ayedun Ekiti; Ayebode Comprehensive High School and Oke Ako Community High School. Other schools visited were Irepodun High School in Ipao Ekiti; Irele Community High School; Esun High School; Iyemero Comprehensive High School, Itapaji Community High School and Odo Oro High School. At the schools visited, Rt. Hon. Aribasoye donated notebooks for the use of pupils, students and for school's administrative use as he also handed appreciation cash token to the staff present. The speaker, accompanied by his wife and some political appointees from the constituency used the occasion of the tour to advise the students on the benefits of hard work, diligence and focus urging the females among them to always speak out any time they experience sexual molestation or an attempt at it. Aribasoye who recounted how he lacked good outfits in his time as student ensured indigent students with tattered school uniforms and those without sandals across the schools smiled home as their names were penciled down for new kits. Meanwhile, the speaker has expressed utmost displeasure at the dereliction of duty by some teachers as noticed in some schools visited. The speaker described as unacceptable the experience at Oke Ako community high school where only one out of thirteen teachers posted to the school showed up to perform their duties. Aribasoye said it would amount to a height of disservice if government kept trying its best to employ and deploy teachers accordingly only for those posted to schools to toe the path of absence without official leave. Non availability of teachers for some subjects and non residential status of some teachers posted to some communities were other issues on which the speaker expressed worry. At a stop over along the tour, a senior citizen and community leader in Oke Ako, Adebayo Ibitoye applauded the good works of Rt. Hon. Aribasoye expressing optimism that the speaker would attract the right dividends to Ikole constituency one. Ibitoye sought the support of the speaker and government stakeholders in getting corps members and more teachers to the area and investing more in education. In his response Aribasoye promised to engage relevant authorities to tackle identified impediments and facilitate the posting of corps members and more teachers where required. -Babajide Agbeyo Special Adviser (media) to the Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly.