By Wumi Oyehan
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has called on secondary school educators across Nigeria to prioritize continuous self-development, ethical integrity, and professional standards as a vital step toward restoring societal respect for the teaching profession.
The charge was delivered on Tuesday in Abuja during the opening of the 3rd National Leadership Training Workshop, organised under the theme ‘The impact of ethics and attitudinal change in managerial leadership.’
Addressing participants on the sidelines of the workshop, ASUSS National President, Comrade Olusola Adigun, emphasised that true professional dignity begins with internal reform rather than external complaints.
”If we have been complaining about the way society is looking down on us, then we too have to look inward.
”Looking inward means upgrading ourselves to get the necessary knowledge that will make us ideal teachers both inside and outside the classroom.We cannot give what we don’t have,” ASUSS National President.
Adigun noted that while welfare agitations remain a core union responsibility, ASUSS is committed to equipping its leaders and members with managerial competencies.
Initiated four years ago, the leadership workshop brings together local and international facilitators to address persistent deficits in teacher carriage, ethics, and classroom administration across the federation.
Delivering key lectures at the event, Associate Professor, Adeola Adijat Faleye of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, outlined the historical evolution and current ethical imperatives of teaching.
Faleye traced the professional recognition of educators back to the 1966 UNESCO declaration.
She urged teachers to take personal initiative in updating their methodologies and upholding standards, even in the absence of institutional backing.
Her second presentation dissected systemic ethical challenges across three critical tiers:
”Self-Ethics: Individual uprightness, continuous learning, and resisting corrupt practices despite economic pressures.
”Management & Public Trust: Accountability to school systems and parents, adhering to the Nigerian Constitution, and complying with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Code of Conduct.
”Government Responsibility: Fulfilling state obligations by providing structured, ongoing digital training and modern teaching facilities rather than relying on one-off workshops.”
Furthermore, she condemned corrupt practices within the system, specifically condemning the diversion of public education funds into private ventures, while advocating for the integration of mother tongues in instructional delivery.
The workshop also provided a platform for state leaders to raise pressing operational challenges.
Comrade Mohammed Salisu Bala, Chairman of the ASUSS Kaduna State Chapter representing over 10,000 secondary school teachers, issued a direct appeal to Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani.
Comrade Bala noted that despite monthly check-off dues (approximately N2,000 per member) being deducted regularly from teachers’ salaries, the funds have been continuously redirected to a sister union, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), for over three to four years due to administrative manipulation.
”We are pleading with our Honorable Governor to look into this matter and ensure check-off dues deducted from ASUSS members are remitted directly to our official union account,” Bala stated, adding that ASUSS remains recognized and properly remitted in neighboring northern states such as Kano, Kebbi, and Nasarawa.
Not left out, Comrade Julius Ogundiran, Chairman of the ASUSS FCT Chapter, expressed appreciation to the national leadership for hosting the capacity-building event in Abuja.
He noted that the principles of accountability, attitudinal change, and leading by example would significantly enhance how members govern classrooms and lead educational institutions in the nation’s capital.