We need permanent teachers in Public Schools--- NUT tells Obaseki

October 7, 2022

The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Wednesday told the state government that they need permanent teachers in  public primary and secondary schools.

The teachers made the call during the 2022 World Teachers Day with the theme, "The transformation of education begins with teachers".

Comrade Bernard Gbenga Ajobiewe, the state chairman of the Union in his welcome address lamented the shortage of teachers in the state's public schools.

"Our schools are grossly under-staffed especially primary and secondary schools in our rural communities. We are aware of the ongoing recruitment of Edo Star Teachers.

"Sir, we need permanent teachers that would take the job  more seriously. No matter the beauty of the schools, with all the infrastructure without teachers, whatsoever that is put in place in the system is cosmetic at best. So, there is urgent need to step up the staffing requirements in ours", he said.

Ajobiewe, who commended the state government for the approval and payment of N40,000 minimum wage to all workers in the state including teachers, also lamented the refusal to pay outstanding 2013, 2014 and 2015 promotion arrears to Orhionmwon and Oredo local government areas. 

He added that out of the 18 local governments, the two local governments are yet to be paid the promotion arrears for the three years.

In his remarks, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, hailed the teachers for being the champions in the government’s reforms in the education sector.

Obaseki who assured that his government will continue to prioritize the teachers' welfare added that they are adequately rewarded for their role in grooming and moulding the minds of future leaders of the state and nation.

He explained that the state government recently trained over 3,000 teachers, head teachers and principals on digital pedagogy as part of efforts to kick off the implementation and onboarding of junior secondary schools into the novel EdoBEST programme. 

He said the training was in addition to  several other trainings for teachers in the state to sustain the gains recorded in the education sector.

“Today, being World Teachers Day, it is important to appreciate the efforts of our teachers who are playing huge roles in sustaining our administration’s efforts at restructuring the education sector, contributing effectively to the development of our state and nation.

"We understand the role of education in achieving sustainable growth and development in the society, which is only possible through continuous investment in our teachers.

“Our government has continued to pay critical attention to teachers in the state, ensuring that they have the tools and knowledge to groom the next generation of Edo leaders.

"We have also sustained investment in upskilling and providing teachers in our schools with modern tools and skills to improve teaching and learning in the state.

"The government is the largest provider of basic education service in the state and we are optimistic that our deliberate investment in teachers through professional development programmes will lead to measurable improvement in the learning outcomes of all our students located in urban, rural and even hard-to-reach areas of our state,” he added.

The governor opined that the government is leveraging technology and equipping the teachers with requisite knowledge and digital skills to improve learning outcomes in the state.