In a bid to boost productivity in the nation’s education sector through harmonious relationship among its stakeholders, the president and executive members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers as well as those of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) paid a courtesy visit to the minister of state for education, Emeka Nwajiuba recently. The NUT executives used the opportunity to discuss the issues and challenges faced by the union.
At the meeting were the registrar and chief executive officer of the TRCN, Josiah Ajiboye; secretary-general of the NUT, Mike Ike Ene; national president of NUT, Muhammed Nasir Idris and the minister of state for education, Emeka Nwajiuba.
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The minister expressed his appreciation to the NUT executives for the visit. He reiterated his support and commitment to further the cause of teachers in Nigeria. The NUT president also thanked the minister and used the opportunity to enumerate some of the challenges facing the union. He stated that most teachers in public schools lacked the required qualifications to be employed as teachers. This situation he suggested is a flaw of the process and system that qualified them.
Another critical challenge faced by the union is the lack of Pension for teachers. He stated that this makes the teaching profession not appealing to both current and new entrants into the teaching profession.
The NUT president also suggested that the state governments should take up the responsibility of paying teachers salaries from the local government authorities as this would not only help teachers get paid on time, but would also serve as a significant motivation for teachers’ commitment and interest in their duties to be rekindled.
On his part, the minister of state for education, Nwajiuba, expressed concern over the quality of the current teaching workforce. He identified this as the biggest problem plaguing the Nigerian education sector as most of the teachers who are currently employed are not qualified to teach.
He stated that this is why most state governments want to sack their teachers. He cited the case of the Kaduna State Government recruiting teachers within and outside the state. He stressed the need for the ministry, TRCN, and NUT to work together to streamline and standardise processes within the education sector.
