The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has underscored the need for government at all levels to give priority attention to teaching, describing it as the most relegated profession in the country.
The National President of NUT, Comrade Audu Amba, expressed this concern in an interview with our Correspondent on Sunday in Abuja.
“Teachers in Nigeria are the most relegated set of people. While every professionals are given the necessary attention by the government, teachers are not, most especially the primary school teachers.
“As we are right now in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the primary school teachers have been on strike for so many months.
“I think this should be the fourth time they have gone on strike because of N70,000 minimum wage which has been implemented for virtually every civil servants in the FCT.
“While this relegation is so visible, the government will sit down there and say that they have interest in education. It is laughable,” he said.
Amba said that it is ironic that those in the helm of affairs dictating the fate of teachers and making them less important, were once taught by teachers.
“Even within the local government system, where primary school draw their salaries, they pay their main workers and exclude primary school teachers.
“Where on earth is such things done? And you expect teachers to continue to be patient. You expect teachers to continue to be quiet?
“We go to the same market, belong to the same community, pay the same house rent, go to the same hospital, just like any other Nigerians.
“Whatever anyone has become today in this country, he or she was once taught by teachers, and that is the same profession we are now looking down on.
“It is disheartening that we allow teachers to go on strike, especially in the FCT, the seat of power,” he said.
Amba urged the governments to pay priority attention to the basic education of the country saying primary school is the foundation of learning.
According to him, funding is key in achieving set objectives and when there is inadequate funding for education, there is no way the nation will be able to get it right.
He added that no country thrives without a good standard for the basic education system, and as such, the government must intensify effort to ensure it is given its proper place in governance.
“Countries that have gotten it right put in more funds to education. When there is insufficient funding for education, there is no way we will be able to get it right.
“Once we are able to get it right at the basic level, we will achieve the desired reforms,” he said.
The NUT president recalled that in the 70s, the basic education received the utmost attention by the then government and many of the current political leaders were beneficiaries at the time
“Back then, primary schools were not overcrowded and every child had a seat and a locker to himself or herself but now pupils sit on bare floor to learn.
“We had free books and a locker where you could lock them and could go home, only with those you have been given assignment for that day.
“We should ask ourselves, is that what is attainable today? The answer is No. Pupils are being taught in dilapidated school blocks, some without roofs while they sit on bare floor.
‘I agreed that in the 70s, the population at that time was not as we have today, but we have failed to plan ahead,” he said.
Amba said it was not too late for the nation to retrace its steps by giving the attention the basic education deserved.
