27 June 2008
editorial
Abuja — That the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) plans to go on an indefinite strike by July 1st, if the government failed to accede to its demands, should be a source of concern to us all.
Already the three-day warning strike embarked upon by the union, earlier this month, had cost the nation a lot in terms of valuable man-hours and the disruption of scheduled examinations.
But it is disheartening to note that in spite of this the Federal government is not keen to avert this impending strike. To have failed to reach a decision on the Teachers' Salary Scale at the Federal Executive Council meeting this week, spoke volumes about the Federal government's commitment to solving the problem.
The teachers' legitimate demand for a pay raise was only reluctantly agreed to after endless negotiations and several verbal rebukes from the minister of Education Igwe Aja Nwachukwu. All the NUT is asking for now is a duly signed government circular to that effect so that it will finally be on record that the Teachers' Salary Scale is about to be implemented.
But rather than do this, the Minister of Information John Odey told newsmen that they are looking at everything holistically by lumping the TSS issue with similar ones like the meaning wage increase, to be looked into another time. We understand the government's concern not to address the problem piecemeal. Yet the situation of teachers requires quick intervention.The plight of Nigerian Teachers is clear to all discerning minds. They are under paid and even this irregularly. They are made to teach without basic teaching aids and in highly un-conducive environments across the country.
The dilapidated state of most government schools in the country; overcrowded classrooms with no furniture, broken windows and doors, extremely poor sanitary conditions and having to teach classes under trees due to insufficient class accommodation. All these combine to make the teaching profession one of the least attractive in the country.
Very often qualified personnel only settle for the profession if they couldn't find any other work and make a hasty exit from it when they find something more rewarding. The government must come to the rescue of this noble profession because no nation can rise above the quality of its teachers. Like the NUT officials have argued, everyone is the product of a teacher, from the president to the lowest ranking worker in any country. In a situation where government's indifference forces only the worst minds to opt for the profession due to lack of choice, it can only result in a nation of similar scum. Needless to say that nation is doomed.
The urgent action needed is for the Federal government to issue this circular immediately and encourage states to do the same. In the long run a constitution amendment may be required to return the funding of both primary and secondary education back to the Federal government, in view of the failure of States and local governments to discharge the obligation effectively.
For now, States and local councils should be made to do what is their constitutional responsibility i.e. payment of teachers' salaries and providing, as well as equipping primary and secondary schools adequately. They should be forced to abandon this unhealthy competition for state universities when they have proved incapable of discharging their obligations towards basic primary and secondary education. In any case who will go and study in these state universities if this ugly trend of neglecting primary and secondary education continues? The first step towards salvaging primary and secondary education is to better the lot of their teachers. We can only achieve this if government start from making the lot of teachers and the schools in which they teach much better than what they are now.
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