Circular instructing teachers to mow grass surfaces persists, despite denials from the Edo Government.

A circular instructing secondary school teachers to mow the lawn and tidy up their schools in preparation for the 2025/2026 academic session has surfaced, despite denials from the Edo State Government.

Obarisiagbon M. I., representing Dr. Maureen Ekhorangbon, Executive Chairman of the State Secondary Education Board (SSEB), signed the circular dated August 27, 2025, according to XANDERTECH.

All senior secondary school executive principals in Edo State were the intended recipients of the letter.

Following the directive of His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State Senator Monday Okpeholo Shine Transformation Agenda, we are emptying the schools in anticipation of resumption, as stated in the circular.

It is imperative that all executive principals remove the grass and tidy up their schools in preparation for the return to classes.

The goals of this activity are to teach our kids self-discipline and the value of community service while also maintaining a clean and healthy learning environment.

Monday, September 1, 2025 (for teachers) and Monday, September 8, 2025 (for students).

In order to make sure that the activity is done properly, principals must personally oversee it. In addition, by Friday, September 5th, 2025, for monitoring purposes, they need to provide a brief report to our integrity Whatsapp page along with photographs of their clearing exercise.

We must all do this as a group if the Governor’s school reform plan is to remain in place. Join me in making our schools a better place to learn and teach by removing hazards and cleaning them up.

“Executive principals follow SSEB’s lead.”

According to XANDERTECH, the document’s release has given validity to civil society groups’ prior accusations that secondary school instructors in Edo were coerced into performing maintenance tasks like cutting grass.

In a statement released on Monday, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, the Commissioner for Education, denied the claims made by the civil society groups regarding the forced grass cutting of teachers.

The claims were “unfounded,” according to Iyamu, who maintained that teachers’ involvement in grass-cutting was entirely voluntary and part of their CRS.

Additionally, XANDERTECH remembers that the state government’s move had been denounced by civil society organisations in the state, including Edo Civil Society Organisations, EDOCSO, and the Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights.

A statement signed by EDOCSO’s Assistant Secretary General and Leftist Aliyu O. Umweni called for the directive to be rescinded immediately. The organisation also called on the government to express regret to the educators working in public schools.

A nation that fails to provide adequate support to its educators would perpetually remain underdeveloped, according to the group’s opinion.

Ensuring that schools are well-maintained and conducive for learning requires a joint effort between the Ministry of Education and relevant authorities responsible for cleaning and maintaining public property.

According to Comrade Bernard Gbenga Ajabuwe, the Edo State head of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the union had sent a letter to the government expressing its disapproval of the change.

Since our job description does not include cutting grass, we have formally requested that the government ignore the order. Our primary responsibility is to provide knowledge to students and learners.

With respect to the circular, we challenged the Board. They didn’t intend to refute the message, so they did it. He mentioned that they had expressed regret for the message.