Lagos — The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has taken steps to redeem the time lost by pupils and students during the Pupils and students during the five-week strike by working extra hours.

Lagos State Chairman, Comrade Michael Olukoya Alogba said the union had agreed to work extra hours daily, with lessons starting from 7:00 am and closing at 3:30 pm.

He said schools would be monitored to ensure compliance. "I want to assure you that we have a programme in place within the two weeks that the suspension would last for them to catch up on their studies."

He debunked speculations in some quarters that the union intends to resume the strike before the two-week negotiation period expires, saying NUT would respect the decision of the Governorsí Forum to intervene in the matter. As a member of the committee set up for the negotiation, he expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved at the end of the two-week period.

At the schools visited by THISDAY, the students were excited to be back to school; some of them thanked the NUT for listening to appeals from stakeholders and urged the government to urgently resolve the issue before the two-week grace period given by the union expires.

A Senior Secondary Three student said she was glad that the strike was over and would now concentrate on writing her National Examinations Council (NECO) SSCE. She also expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved amicably to prevent teachers from resuming the strike.

A secondary school teacher observed that the strike period was boring and made her spend more money, especially on food. "I like to be active. That was why I was bored. We were neither on holiday nor on leave, that made it worse for me."

She said seeing the children roaming the streets made her sad and appealed to the government to find a lasting solution to the issue and avoid another round of industrial action, which will not be in studentsí interest.

A parent who preferred anonymity said government should heed the request of teachers to prevent frequent closure of public schools, adding that most people don't have enough money to send their children and wards to private schools. "These teachers are good and only need to be motivated to perform better."