---

---

Nigeria: Don't Drag Private Schools Into Strike - Educationist

3 July 2008

---

An educationist, Pastor Joseph Ejenavi, yesterday condemned the proposed picketing of private schools by the striking teachers, saying this could result in confrontation.

Besides, Ejanavi said that since private schools were not under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT),there was no need dragging them into the on-going strike. He told newsmen in Lagos that the proposed picketing would disrupt academic activities in the private schools. Although Ejanavi, who is the National President for Formidable Education Development (AFED), while expressing support for the strike, however, called for caution on the part of the aggrieved teachers. "In as much as operators of private schools share in the plight of the teachers, they (public teachers) should not disrupt the academic activities of those who are not under their umbrella.

"The issue of picketing private schools should be handled carefully to avoid any form of confrontation from proprietors of such schools. "Members of the NUT are government employees and they have every right to fight for their rights but we are private operators and we have nothing to gain from the strike. "We are licensed operators of private schools, with the sole aim of providing qualitative education. So no one has the right to tell us to close our schools in the name of an industrial action," Ejanavi said. He stated that it was only the government which licensed them in the first instance that had the right to ask them to close shop, "otherwise, we are not going to succumb to any threat"

(NAN)

Be the first to Write a Comment!

---