The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria Union of Teachers

  • El-Rufai: we’ll sack absentee teachers

    Governor El-Rufai has threatened to sack any teacher absent from duty.

    A statement by his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, said the government cannot be blackmailed into retaining ‘unqualified teachers’ and mortgaging the future of about two million primary school pupils.

    The governor said Education Administrators have been instructed to open registers in all schools, starting from todau, and any teacher who is absent from work will reap the consequences of absconding from duty.

    The statement reads: “It has come to the notice of the Kaduna State government that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has declared an indefinite strike. This is an illegal action, and will not achieve its aim of derailing the education reforms being implemented by the government.

    “The government is not available to be blackmailed into knowingly retaining unqualified teachers; neither will it mortgage the future of two million pupils because failed teachers are shamelessly mobilising sentiment.

    “At the invitation of the Federal Ministry of Labour, the government met twice in Abuja with officials of the NLC and the NUT. The governor personally led the state delegation to the first meeting. During these interactions, the government made it clear that as an employer, it has every right to determine who its employees are, or can be, and the minimum qualifications they must possess.

    “The government has instructed education administrators to open registers in all its schools, starting from today, and any teacher who is absent from work will be treated with the consequences that pertain to absconding from duty under the Public Service Rules.

    “The government will take firm and decisive disciplinary action against personnel who absent themselves from duty, including dismissal from service.”

  • NUT begins strike over sack of 21,780 teachers in Kaduna

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State has directed its member to begin indefinite strike today to protest the sack of 21,780 public primary school teachers.

    This is contained in a January 4 notice of strike, signed by the union’s Assistant Secretary General, Adamu Anglo.

    The teachers were sacked for allegedly scoring below the 75 per cent pass mark in the competency test organised by the government in June 2017.

    The notice, circulated to union executives in the 23 local government areas, said a two-week ultimatum was earlier issued to the government to reverse its decision.

    According to the union, the decision has become necessary after the government issued sack letters to the affected teachers after the Christmas and New Year holidays.

    The strike notice reads: “As a responsible union, we ventilated our grievances before the National Industrial Court, Kaduna, and the court, on December 4, granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the government from disengaging any teacher pending the determination of the case.

    “The order was served to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, but surprisingly, he went on to order the distribution of letters of disengagement to the affected teachers, dated November 3, 2017.

    “We, therefore, met on January 4, and unanimously resolved to embark on indefinite strike today.”

    The notice also highlighted other unresolved issues with the government, such as compulsory retirement of secondary school teachers before their due date, as against the 35 years of service or 60 years of age provided by civil service rules.

    Other issues include unpaid 2015 leave transport grant to 3,338 primary school teachers, as well as 2016 and 2017 leave transport grant to all public school teachers, despite deductions at source.

     

  • 75 Vs 60 per cent: The intrigues of Kaduna teachers’ test

    75 Vs 60 per cent: The intrigues of Kaduna teachers’ test

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) is raising hell over Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s announcement to sack 21,780 teachers who scored less than 75 per cent in the state’s competency tests.  However, El-Rufai has rejected the union’s recommended 60 per cent reports ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE.

    The deadline the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) gave Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to rescind his decision to sack 21,780 public primary school teachers out of 33,000 who allegedly failed a competency test organised by the government is Monday next week.

    However, whether he will bow to the union’s pressure is yet to be seen.

    Already, the government has received 23,000 applications from supposedly qualified teachers seeking to replace those that may be shown the door for lack of mastery of Primary Four content.

    El-Rufai’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye has said some of those who allegedly failed the competency test were among the applicants.

    “If you check the Governor’s twitter handle, as at Thursday, November 9, over 23,000 applications had been received for the advertised vacant positions of 25,000 primary school teachers in the state.

    “The submission of application is closing on November 19, 2017. Thereafter, the applications will be screened and successful applicants will be invited for a written test. The written test will be conducted, and by 27th December, results of the written test will be released and interview will be conducted on the 8th of January, 2018.

    “On the 26th of January, we are supposed to have been able to issue temporary appointment letters to successful applicants”, Adekeye told this reporter.

    Controversy has trailed the release of the test result – with the NUT claiming the government did not use the right tools or agency to measure the teachers’ competence.  The union also said the Governor did not keep to his promise to set 60 per cent as the pass mark.

    El-Rufai on the other hand has said the agreed benchmark was 75 per cent and that the Union was part of the screening from the start.

    Announcing the results last week when he received a joint delegation of the World Bank and DFID at the Government House, the Governor expressed disappointment that 66 per cent of the teachers did not meet the 75 per cent benchmark.

    “We tested our 33,000 primary school teachers, we gave them primary four examinations and required they must get at least 75 per cent, but I am sad to announce that 66 per cent of them failed to get the requirements,” he said.

    Details of the results showed that 11,591 teachers (33.9 per cent) scored 75 per cent and above; while 5,766 of them (16.9%) scored 70 and 74 per cent.

    The result also showed that 8,759 (26.1%) scored 60-69% marks, while 8,047 (23.58%) scored 0-59%.

     

    Why the test?

    The teachers’ reform is part of El-Rufai’s plans to reverse the degeneration of the education sector in the state.

    When he assumed office in 2015, El-Rufai started with a school feeding programme, which increased enrolment of primary school pupils from 1.2 million to over 1.8 million within a session.

    The sudden increase in enrolment propelled the government to address the problem of infrastructural decay, and shortage of school furniture.  He also provided books and uniforms to the pupils across the state.

    The increased enrolment also made the government to shift focus to addressing teacher quality and quantity.  A source in the El-Rufai administration said: “We initially thought the only problem with teachers was that, a few of them don’t have the requisite certificates to teach. We never envisaged this level of poor performance on the part of the teachers”.

     

    How the test was conducted

     

    Beyond assessment of teachers’ paper qualifications, the El-Rufai administration decided to test teachers with a view to ridding primary schools of incompetent teachers.

    He set up a committee chaired by Balarabe Lawal, Secretary to the State Government (SSG) which included the NUT, the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and others. The SUBEB was given the responsibility of setting questions and administering the test to teachers across the state. The Nation gathered that, it was done in conjunction with the Teachers Registration Council (TRCN), while NUT leaders supervised the examination in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.

    When the results came out, the stakeholders met to set a benchmark.

    It was at the point of agreeing on the cut-off mark that the government and the NUT fell out. The NUT voted for 60 per cent, while government officials insisted on 70 per cent pass mark.

     

    Not the first test in Kaduna State

     

    El-Rufai is not the first Kaduna State governor to beam a searchlight on teachers.

    In 2009, as governor, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammed Namadi Sambo sacked 4,000 teachers who allegedly forged their certificates.

    Sambo’s successor, the late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa before his death in 2012 administered Primary Four tests on 1,599 primary school teachers in the state, out of which 1,300 failed.  Only one of them was said to have scored 75 per cent, 250 scored between 50 to 75 per cent, while 1,300 scored below 25 per cent.

    Also in 2012, the then Chairman of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Yunusa Mohammad revealed that of the 38,000 teachers in the state, about 17,000 were not qualified as they had only Senior School Leaving Certificate (SSCE), diplomas and other non-teaching qualifications.

    Yakowa’s administration gave all unqualified teachers a five-year moratorium to acquire the requisite qualifications for teaching.

     

    Politics of recruitment

    El-Rufai blamed the politicization of the teachers’ recruitment process for the crisis in the state.

    He said last week that politicians and local government chairmen made the primary school sector a “dumping ground for their thugs.”

    “Teachers were employed at local government level without adherence to standards,” he said, adding that in many instances, no examinations or interviews were conducted to assess the quality of those being employed.

    “Political patronage, nepotism and corruption became the yardstick, thus giving unqualified persons a way in. Teaching jobs were given as patronage to those connected to politicians and bureaucrats,” he said.

    The Governor also disagreed with the NUT’s 60 per cent pass mark, which he said was too low.

    Speaking on radio, he said: “Where is the sense of shame? I hear some people say the pass mark for a primary four exam should be 60 per cent; the same people say the state government has no right to test the competence of its employees.

    “There is no bigger evidence of the crisis in our society than that a union whose members failed a Primary Four examination and thinks it can create problems over the issue rather than be a part of the solution.

    “We are not people that bow to threats. We will respond appropriately. What will be the point of that strike? To force us to violate our oath of office and knowingly retain as teachers those that are not qualified? That will not happen.”

     

    NUT’s reaction

    The NUT is not sitting easy on the matter.  It has warned of industrial disharmony if the government goes ahead with its plan to sack the teachers.

    On Tuesday when reached for comments on the issue, the Kaduna State NUT chairman, Comrade Audu Amba, refused to speak.  However at an earlier press conference held last Friday, he had said the competency test was not professionally conducted and warned that, relieving such huge number of teachers of their job would set the state “20 years behind”.

    He said: “Though the NUT supports the government’s desire to improve the quality of education in the country, it does not support the modality employed by the state government in conducting the competency test.

    “It is with pain that we are taking this decision, while appreciating the concerns of the state government to uplift the status of teachers. We have discussed with the state government to let it understand that teaching profession is not like other profession or industrial machines that you open and close at will.

    “The proficiency test can only be recognised if it is conducted by TRCN. The state insisted otherwise. What we are receiving today is not what we agreed with government. They were not tested based on professionalism or on what they studied.

    “It will do us a great harm if 21,780 teachers are relieved of their jobs. Government will be setting us back 20 years if 22,000 teachers are relieved of their jobs. I cannot imagine where there will be replacement. The test was not in conformity with what is expected on how teachers are tested.”

    NUT’s agitation against the government was backed by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).  Its National President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba led a protest against the planned sack on Wednesday last week in Kaduna.  NUT leaders from 18 northern states as well as those of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) stood in solidarity with their colleagues in Kaduna.

     

    The ongoing recruitment exercise

    El-Rufai said the Kaduna State Executive Council had approved the recruitment of 25,000 primary school teachers, which he promised would follow due process.

    “This time around, there would be standardised tests for those to be recruited.

    “No unqualified person will scale through and we will vet certificates very closely and very often. The future of our children is so important that we will not take chances. We will be vigilant in ensuring that only good people teach in our public schools,” El-Rufai said.

     

     

  • Deceased teachers, messengers among those that “passed” teachers’ test – NUT

    Deceased teachers, messengers among those that “passed” teachers’ test – NUT

    Deceased and retired teachers, messengers and security personnel were listed among “teachers” that passed the test conducted for primary school teachers in Kaduna State, according to the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

    Malam Yahaya Abbas, NUT Chairman in Zaria Local Government, disclosed this on Tuesday in Zaria, while reacting to a mass protest by primary school pupils in Sabon-Gari.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the pupils were protesting against the sack of 21,000 teachers said to have scored less than 75 per cent in a test set set for them.

    “The result of the examination showed that only three or four teachers passed in many schools.

    “In some schools, retired teachers and teachers that died a long time ago were among those that passed.

    “The list of successful teachers sent to some schools also included names of their messengers and security personnel,” he alleged.

    The NUT chairman alleged that names of senior staff, especially those on level 14 and above, were absent from among those that passed, raising the suspicion that government was only out to sack them so as to reduce cost.

    Also reacting to the protest, NUT Chairman, Sabon Gari Local Government, Malam Rabi’u Usman, described the action of the pupils as their “personal opinion not influenced by anybody”.

    He said, however, that the children’s action was “a right step in the right direction”, and called on government to “do something urgently to save the situation”.

    Usman said that the union was not opposed to the examination, but was against the pass mark of 75 per cent, declaring that there was no examination with such a high pass mark.

    The chairman appealed to government to rescind its decision to sack the teachers before the expiration of the union’s ultimatum, or face the consequences.

    NAN reports that the primary school pupils had taken to Zaria streets to protest the sack of their teachers, and vowed to resist the action by the Kaduna Government.

    The pupils, who massed into all routes in the city, carried leaves and posters of Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i with “ba ma so” (we do not want this), written under it.

    Some of the pupils, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said that they were out of the classes and on the streets to register their objection to the sack of the teachers.

    The pupils appealed to the Kaduna State Government to reverse the decision in the interest of quality education in the state.

    Reacting to the protest, the Kaduna State government accused teachers of “endangering” the lives of the poor children by throwing them into the streets.

    The government, in a statement signed by Samaila Aruwan, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, warned that it would not accept such child abuse by teachers that had failed a simple test and were not qualified to teach.

    It said that government’s action was in the best interest of the education sector, adding that quality teachers were being recruited to shore up the fortunes of the sector. (NAN)

  • NUT warns El-Rufai not to sack teachers

    NUT warns El-Rufai not to sack teachers

    •Union threatens strike if governor dismisses 21,780 tutors

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State has said it will go on strike, if Governor Nasir El-Rufai sacked 21,780 teachers.

    The union gave the governor a two-week ultimatum to rescind his decision or face an indefinite strike.

    NUT, at a news conference yesterday, said El-Rufai “shifted the goal-post in the middle of the game”.

    The Chairman, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, who read their letter to El-Rufai, said the pass mark for the competency test was pegged at 60 per cent, while those who score below this would be retrained.

    The letter, signed by the Assistant Secretary General, Comrade Adamu Ango, reads: “…that, the NUT, Kaduna State, as a responsible stakeholder in the education sector, though aware of the position of the law as it relates to the body empowered to regulate the teaching profession, cooperated with the Kaduna State government, under the mistaken belief that the government’s intention was altruistic, and aimed at enhancing the state.

    “However, with the benefit of hindsight, we now know better.

    “…that it was agreed by stakeholders that the pass mark be pegged at 60 per cent, while those who score below this be retrained.

    “However, in a display of bad faith, the government arbitrarily pegged the pass mark at an unprecedented 75 per cent.

    “Your Excellency, while hosting a delegation of World Bank officials, you announced that 21,780 teachers will be disengaged for not scoring up to 75 per cent in the competency test, while 25,000 will be recruited in their stead.

    “…that the NUT wrote an appeal letter to you, to rescind your decision, but you ignored us, and imposed your will against the consensus of bonafide stakeholders.

    “The NUT subsequently decided to approach the National Industrial Court to adjudicate on the issue.

    “However, contrary to all standards of decency in a democratic setting, and despite the service of court process on the government, you published a list of teachers who purportedly passed the competency test.

    “All the above leaves the NUT with no option than to serve the instant notice in compliance with the wishes of its members, expressed at the meeting of the state wing executive council held on November 6.”

  • Kaduna NUT plans fasting, prayers over plans to sack 20,000 teachers

    Kaduna NUT plans fasting, prayers over plans to sack 20,000 teachers

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Zaria Local Government Area Branch, will on Tuesday begin three days of fasting and prayers to seek God’s intervention on the planned sack of 20,000 primary school teachers.

    Kaduna State Government had conducted an examination for primary school teachers in the state and said 68 percent of the teachers (20,000) did not pass the primary four pupils’ exam at an excellent level.

    Malam Yahaya Abbas, NUT Chairman in Zaria Local Government Area, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria on Monday that the teachers were compelled to seek God’s intervention over the planned sack.

    Abbas said: “Majority of our members here are Muslims and we do not have anywhere to lodge our complaint except to our creator.

    “Therefore, we intend to start a three-day fasting on Oct. 17, in addition to prayers, to seek God’s intervention on the planned mass sack of our members whom government said did not pass its examination.

                     Related: Unpaid salaries hurting teachers’ morale

    “There is no way for everybody to score “A” grade in an examination; that is 75 percent, this is not what was agreed with the union representatives.

    “The agreement was that the pass mark should be 60 percent not 75 percent. Again, the result of the examination is not yet out but the government said it will sack 20,000 teachers.”

    He said that the government still owed some teachers salary arrears of between three months and 13 months, while some of them were being underpaid.

    According to him, the primary schools across the state are understaffed, hence, the need for government to recruit more teachers instead of sacking the existing ones.

    “I can assure you that there is one female teacher who teaches 200 pupils in a class due to a shortage of teaching staff.

    “Again, sacking of experienced teachers and recruiting new ones is not the solution because anybody who bagged a National Certificate in Education or degree in the last 10 years must have been taught by these categories of teachers.

                          Also: Kaduna to employ 25,000 teachers

    “Therefore, if the government argued that the present calibre of teachers are not qualified, then, how do you expect their products to be better than the teachers’?” he asked.

    Abbas said that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i had promised not to terminate the appointment of any teacher, but those who performed below expectation in the exam would be subjected to training.

    “Initially, Gov. El-Rufa’i said he would never sack any teacher but he would ensure that those who failed the exam were given the necessary training to catch up.

    “According to him, those who cannot catch up will be given another duty but we do not know what happened that he changed his mind and descended on the teachers,” Abbas noted.

    The chairman said that as responsible unionists, the teachers did not intend to go on rampage or embark on strike; instead, “we have resolved to take the matter to our creator for quick intervention.”

  • Unpaid salaries hurting teachers’ morale

    Unpaid salaries hurting teachers’ morale

    In many states across the country, public school teachers looked their best during the commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day last Thursday.

    Wearing colourful uniform attires, they were found in public parks, squares and stadiums, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), honouring the profession that earns them their daily bread.

    However, salary arrears dampened the celebration in some states where the government owes salaries. Even states where salaries are regular, many teachers still expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of money they are paid and working conditions.

    Many of the teachers in primary and secondary schools lamented that despite being noble and significant, the government did not accord teaching the necessary recognition compared to other professions.

    Benue, Plateau, Kogi, Ogun, Ekiti, Abia, Oyo, Ondo, and Nasarawa states are among the 17 owing salaries (full or partial).

    Others include: Taraba, Niger, Delta, Osun, Adamawa and Bayelsa.

    A primary school teacher at Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Mrs. Olubunmi Ajayi, said teachers impacting knowledge to their pupils on empty stomachs was uncalled for.

    She noted that there was no encouragement to enable them push forward and give their best.

    “We are ready to raise the standard of education if the government provides an enabling academic environment with adequate instructional materials.”

    In Kaduna State, though Governor Nasir el-Rufai claimed that his administration allocated 35 per cent of its budget to the education sector, teachers are not happy.

    Commissioner of Education Prof Andrew Jonathan Nok said the government had built and renovated public schools and equipped them, while the teachers mourned the non-payment of salary arrears and leave bonuses – displaying their displeasure with black hand bands they wore to the teachers’ day event.

    NUT Chairman Audu Amba said the profession faced a series of problems, including non-payment of accumulated salary arrears ranging from one to 11 months in the various Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs).

    “There is delay in the payment of LGEA teachers’ salary for up to two weeks after their colleagues in the state have been paid.  Another factor standing as a stumbling block to attaining freedom in teaching and teacher empowerment is the issue of outstanding payment of balance of leave grant for 2015, and non-payment of that of 2016.

    “And for 2017, teachers don’t even know their fate on that. Mention must be made that, 10 per cent of teachers’ salary is deducted monthly and paid to them as their leave grant at the end of the year, so it’s a right and not a privilege,” Amba said.

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State gifted three teachers new cars to mark the event. However, even though many were happy for the recipients, the salary arrears of five to eight months dampened their joy.

    A primary school teacher, Mrs. Beatrice Oluwole, said the payment of salary backlog would have appealed more than the cars a few teachers got.

    She said poor working conditions had killed her interest in the job, adding that she would have quit teaching if she had the opportunity to do so.

    She said: “I won’t deceive you my brother, my productivity has declined because we are working almost on an empty stomach because the government owes us eight months’ salaries.

    “Apart from hunger, some of us have health challenges.  With no money to care for ourselves, how can we give our best under these circumstances?

    “Rather than wait for Teachers’ Day to present cars and some cash to a select few, the government should look for ways to pay our salaries and provide other incentives that will encourage us to work harder.  The issue of non-payment of salary is affecting our productivity and motivation.”

    In Ogun State, Babatunde Folarin, who has spent 23 years teaching Geography and Biology in a public school, said he was not happy with the profession any more.

    The former Chairman, Ogun State Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), said: “Teachers’ productivity varies from one end to the other in Nigeria. Some schools have not what it takes to do anything productive, while in some schools the infrastructure are there.

    “In Nigeria generally, teaching is in a sorry state. As far as I am concerned, I am not happy with teaching now. There are too many rotten areas in this sector.”

    Malam Abubakar Liman, who has spent years teaching in Sokoto, said many teachers loved their jobs but the continued underdevelopment of the education sector made them unhappy practising their profession.

    He said: “It is unfortunate and frustrating that from the university to the primary school level, the Nigerian educational sector has been relegated to the background with teacher quality being one of the most affected.

    “Many Nigerian teachers love their jobs but are not happy with it. This can be largely attributed to the virtual absence of good salary, remuneration for achievements, basic equipment and facilities for teachers as well as training and re-training.

    Others include government employment of low quality and unqualified teachers which adds more burden to the qualified ones; political involvement in the sector with many key positions in the ministries and even in schools now politicised to the extent that individual party membership serves as a key determinant of his/her position in a ministry or school.”

    Even though Cross River State does not owe salaries, some teachers say their take-home pay was barely enough to survive.

    Mrs. Theresa Odey, a secondary school teacher in Calabar, said teachers should be rewarded here on earth like practitioners of other professions.

    She said: “They keep saying our reward is in heaven, but we would also like to enjoy here on earth before going to heaven. At least, we in Cross River State are regularly paid, even though the money is nothing to write home about. I cannot imagine what teachers who are being owed are facing. The bottomline of what I am saying is that teachers need better renumeration. The pay should be such that people should aspire to be teachers just as people aspire to be doctors or engineers. This is the noblest profession in the world yet it is treated with so much contempt by those who should know better.”

    A primary school teacher in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, Mr. David Abang (not real name), said the poor pay affected his productivity.

    “Honestly, I don’t believe my students get the best from me. Sometimes I honestly do not even have money to pay transport to school. Our pay is too poor compared to the job we do. The government is not even paying attention to teachers, who have the very grave responsibility of shaping the minds of the future. It is very sad and dangerous for the well-being of this country. Where I teach so many of the teachers are not even qualified. Most people only come in because they see it as a source of income and not as a vocation or calling. For most, at least the pittance that comes in is better than nothing, and so, the education of the child is not so important to them. The dignity of the profession should be restored, by getting only qualified teachers who have passion and further motivating them with good pay,” he said.

    However, despite the poor or in some cases no salaries, some teachers said their satisfaction was intrinsic.

    Philip Ajisola, a secondary school teacher in Ekiti State, believes he is a teacher by calling and delivers regardless.

    “Teaching is a profession I chose by myself because I really love the job of moulding the future generation and I am putting in my very best despite being owed salaries.

    “The non-payment of salaries has not affected my productivity because I see the students I am teaching as my children, and if my productivity drops, it will affect them. I love this job and I don’t want them to suffer for the offence they never committed,” he said.

    For Paul Okoh, a primary school with Ben Nursery and Primary School, Makurdi, seeing his former pupils recognise him on the streets makes him happy.

    ‘’This acknowledgement from my pupils alone has brought joy and happiness to me even though the problem of non-payment of teachers for a year is pending in Benue State,” said Okoh.

    Mrs. Theresa Odey , a secondary school teacher in Calabar said her conscience makes her productive.

    “I would say I am productive enough because I am guided by a conscience, because if it is going by the reward we get for our jobs, our students would get nothing,” she said.

    The NUT President, Comrade Michael Alogba-Olukoya, said despite the poor treatment of teachers, they were still doing their jobs because of the intrinsic reward that came from nurturing lives.

    “We feel highly elated, happy because moulding people’s lives, to us, is a thing of joy. So the career fulfilment is there and we are happy with what we are doing. Any teacher must first of all have what we call passion, career love in order to deliver very well in the classroom. All of us feel happy and fulfilled in choosing that career. Even though people are not treating us well, it does not in any way mean that we should allow this to be seen in our psychic.”

     

     

     

     

  • NUT warns debtor states

    National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Michael Olukoya-Alogba, has issued a warning to states owing its members backlog of salaries.

    Comrade Olukoya-Alogba, said the union would embark on strike if state governments refuse to pay its members.

    He said: “The non-payment of salaries or portion (part) payment or deciding how much to pay on monthly basis, not paying our members when they retire, working conditions of teachers, all these are challenges and we take joy in highlighting these challenges to people that matters.

    “Tell the government, our employers, that we will not allow this to continue, it is not going to be sympathy as before. Number one, all the states that are owing – 17 of them, we have given them the last warning, that if the trend should continue, we should not be held responsible because the moment we now go on strike, or we try to tell our people to do to the contrary, they will be saying that we are being sponsored.

    “Now that people are owing us in Benue – almost one year (primary school), other categories of workers eight months. In Kogi, the same thing, in Nasarawa percentages, in Plateau, just mention them like that.

    “We have seen the opportunity on the 5th (World Teachers’ Day) to tell them that look, enough will soon be enough. Again, apart from the welfare something, we have the working condition of teachers. Our schools-many of them, no furniture. Infrastructural decay, we are not going to allow this to continue.

    “UNESCO has given a directive that total budget of nay tier of government 26 per cent to education. How many of them are doing it? Even from federal to local, how many of them are doing it?

    “As long as we don’t have our education sector correct, as long as you don’t have adequate investment in education that is the end of that government. That means all these social menace will continue. Until we have our bearings right, we may continue to chase shadows.

    “You cannot imagine for somebody to work for 35 years only to retire into poverty and penury. All these must be checked and must be corrected.

    “We have told them this year it is not going to be an annual rhetoric. We are going to match it up with action and we are going to start from all these orchestrated local government autonomy. We are not opposed to it as teachers but don’t tie primary education to local government autonomy because he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches and experience they say is the best teachers.

  • NUT names Ambode most friendly governor

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was named the best teacher-friendly governor of the year during last Thursday’s World Teachers Day celebration by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Abuja.

    NUT President, Comrade Michael Alogba-Olukoya, who presented the award to the Governor’s representative, Mrs Oluwatoyin Edu (chairman, Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria), praised Ambode for providing “an enabling environment for teaching and learning in public schools in Lagos State while also prioritising teachers’ welfare and rewarding hard work”.

    In his speech at the Lagos NUT event held at the sports complex of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, announced plans to hire 500 more teachers.

    He said the teachers would be those trained to teach core science subjects as well as Mathematics, English, Yoruba, French, Computer Science, Creative Arts and Home Economics.

    The Governor also announced the approval of the promotion of primary school teachers to Grade Level 17 for them to be at par with counterparts in the civil service, noting that it was unprecedented in the annals of the nation’s education reforms.

    He said experience has shown that teachers perform better in the classroom when they are well motivated and are well appreciated.

    “Today, teachers’careers are no longer terminated as principals. But many are reaching the pinnacle of their careers as tutor-general/permanent secretaries. Administration of schools, which was decentralised through the districts has enhanced efficiency, proper monitoring and assessment.  This has also imbued in our teachers a sense of belonging,” he said.

    Speaking further he said teachers would be provided with quality infrastructure and regular training to build their capacity.

    Other benefits include allowances, bonus and personal emoluments paid by companies.

    Lagos State NUT Chairman, Otunba Adesegun Raheem, said if there was any subset of workers needed to be empowered, it was teachers.

    According to him, teachers rendered their services without any insurance cover and under all forms of fear and trepidation. However, he said they were yet to be elevated to the status of their counterparts around the world.

    Raheem said challenges facing the education sector in Lagos could be addressed by: teacher recruitment and retention, increased running cost of schools, resuscitation of the Lagos Eko secondary education project and its extension to primary schools, reinstatement of abrogated allowances and professionalism of teachers.

    The NUT chair also advised teachers to register with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), which is conducting its first professional examination for teachers on October 14. Already, he said over 15,000 teachers had registered to take the examination.

    Raheem counselled the teachers to give their best and help their pupils.

    “I hereby charge you to shun all forms of delinquent behavior which may smear our impeccable names. Punctuality is the soul of business. As parents ourselves, let us teach and relate with our students the way we want their teacher to relate with them in school,” he said.

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu, represented by Mrs Sarah Joseph, called on governments at all levels, to prioritise not only the work of teachers but also retrain them. She lamented that most government efforts and the initiatives of non-governmental organisations had been focused on students and schools particularly.

    She said teachers were special specie of servants that deserves much more than other professions.

    “I dream of a Nigeria where teachers are exposed to the best trainings in the world to command the respect of their students and society at large. I dreams of the day this noble profession will be deemed most respectable and fitting, I dream of that day when top graduates will jostle propositions in the teaching service, I dream of that day when teachers would be ranked one of the best paid class of professionals”.

    National NUT President, Comrade Michael Olukoya, represented by Mrs Adebukola Kareem, said the theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day, “Teaching in freedom: Empowering teachers” was chosen to draw the attention of the government and relevant authorities to the avalanche of issues relating to the professional status, terms and working conditions of teachers.

    He also highlighted some of the issues which include: teachers’ award, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, retirement age for teachers, terminal grade level of teachers, and local government autonomy.

    Awards were presented to various teachers, including Raheem; Permanent Secretary, Teachers Establishment and Pensions Office (TEPO), Mrs Sewanu Amosu; former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Ariyo; and Director-General, Quality Assurance on Education, Mrs Aderonke Soyombo.

    Others are: 2016 Best Principal, Mrs Bilikisu Oluderu; 2016 best head teacher, Mrs Victoria Oguntunde; best teacher (secondary category), Mr Babatunde Ajanaku; and best teacher (primary category), Mr Musa Mufutau.

     

  • NUT President to states owing salaries: Enough is enough

    NUT President to states owing salaries: Enough is enough

    National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Michael Olukoya-Alogba, on Monday, issued a warning to states owing its members backlog of salaries, saying enough is enough.

    The NUT President said this in an interview with our reporter on MOnday in Abuja.

    He said the union would embark on strike if state governments continue to owe its members.

    He said: “Tell the government, our employers, that we will not allow this to continue. It is not going to be sympathy as before.

    “All the states that are owing-seventeen of them, we gave them the last warning, that if the trend should continue, we should not be held responsible because the moment we now go on strike, or we try to tell our people to do to the contrary, they will be saying that we are being sponsored.

    “We have seen the opportunity on the 5th (World Teachers’ Day) to tell them that look, enough will soon be enough. Again, apart from the welfare something, we have the working condition of teachers. Our schools-many of them, no furniture. Infrastructural decay, we are not going to allow this to continue.”

    He said the National Executive Council of the union will meet next week in Bayelsa to take a decision on states owing its members.

    “We are going to meet in Bayelsa next week and take stock of all the states, especially from on the fifth to Thursday next week. It is at that meeting we are now going to know the next line of action.

    “Like I told you if teachers should embark on strike the next allegation that you will hear is that it is the opposition party, it is some people that are sponsoring, forgetting that majority of the states are not being controlled by one party.

    “Our own is an issue not political. The time lag is not yet specified, but I assure you that after next week there will be a public pronouncement on this,” he said.

    He also urged the federal government not to return primary education to local governments, saying the decision will be met with stiff resistance.

    “We have told them this year it is not going to be an annual rhetoric. We are going to match it up with action and we are going to start from all these orchestrated local government autonomy. We are not opposed to it as teachers but don’t tie primary education to local government autonomy because he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches and experience they say is the best teachers.

    “Local governments have been saddled with the responsibility of controlling and managing primary education in the past it has recorded total failure. We cannot take this. What we are saying is that modify your local government autonomy, but don’t attach primary education,” comrade Olukoya-Alogba said.

    The NUT President warned that social vices would continue in the society as long as governments at all levels continue to neglect education.