President Muhammadu Buhari says his
administration will provide vibrant policies that will provide allowances and
initiate annual retention benefits for teachers in order to attract them to rural
communities.
Buhari, who was represented by the
Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Abubakar Malami made this known in
Abuja on Saturday at the 2019 World Teachers’ Day Celebration.
He also said the Federal Government
would collaborate with the states with a view to providing incentives to
teachers, especially in the rural areas to encourage young talents to the
teaching profession.
“It has been stated that teachers
are one of the most influential forces for equity, access and quality in education,
this administration places much emphasis on Human Capital Development. “We
shall give more attention to training and re-training of teachers in order to
enhance their capacities for effective service delivery,” he said.
He also said the Federal Government
would collaborate with the states with a view to providing incentives to
teachers, especially in the rural areas to encourage young talents to the
teaching profession. “It has been stated that teachers are one of the most
influential forces for equity, access and quality in education, this
administration places much emphasis on Human Capital Development. “We shall
give more attention to training and re-training of teachers in order to enhance
their capacities for effective service delivery,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of
Education, Malam Adamu Adamu said the theme of the 2019 WTD was progressively
addressing some of the fundamental issues of teachers and education generally
in the country. Adamu, who was represented by the Minister of State, Mr Chukwuemeka
Nwajiuba, said to revitalise the sector, there was need to unleash potentials
for socio-economic development.
He noted that revitalising the
sector had given rise to the development of the Ministerial Strategic Plan,
adding that the process was on course. “Besides strengthening institutional
framework in the educational system, a number of steps have been taken to
increase access, which is the increase in the number of tertiary institutions.
“The numbers of these universities is an improvement over what it used to be.
“Let us bear in mind that central to expanding access to these instructions are
the young teachers who lecturers in them, hence the urgent need to invest in
young teachers.
He also commended the efforts of
the Teachers’ Registration Council of (TRCN) in pursuit of teachers’
professionalism through registration and licensing of teachers in a bid to
strengthen teacher quality.
Adamu added that the ministry had
also endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, saying that steps were taken to implement
the commitment made through the commitment. “Over the years, educational
institutions have become targets, ranging from kidnappings, killings, arson,
vandalism and hooliganism.
“Conflict and natural disasters
have also led to schools being closed down and converted to camps for
Internally Displaced Persons thereby disrupting schooling,” he said. Also,
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, pledged the commitment of
the ministry to ensure that teachers are professionally qualified, empowered
and adequately remunerated, motivated and supported for efficiency and
effectiveness.
Echono, however, called on
development partners, private sector, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs),
individuals and philanthropists to join hands with government at all levels to
invest in teachers and the teaching profession for enhanced leaning outcomes.
In his message, Dr Muhammed Idris,
National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), called for policy
redirection that would enhance the occupational and social status of teachers
and engender fulfilling teaching career. Idris said the age-long demand for a
review of the retirement age of teachers should be looked into as the union
awaits presidential assent. He also called for a uniform Teachers Salary Structure
(TSS) for all professional teachers in the country, saying this must be given
due attention and consideration.
He, therefore, commended the
administration of President Buhari for revisiting and approving the
establishment of the National Secondary Education Commission.
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