World Teachers’ Day: FG to prioritize teachers’ welfare and development

President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is committed to advancing teachers’ welfare, growth, and inclusion in educational decision-making, emphasizing their crucial role in national progress.

The awards for best governors were given to Kebbi, Borno, Oyo, Benue, Enugu and Kano State governors.

The President also said the government will continue to prioritize the teaching profession through government policies and legislation in the areas of availability of access, professional development, motivation, as well as monitoring and evaluation systems in all practical terms.

President Tinubu stated this on Saturday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2024 World Teachers’ Day, adding that the commitment hinged on the role teachers play in shaping the future of education and the urgent need to incorporate their perspectives into educational policy and decision-making processes.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the president said in line with the 2024 theme tagged ‘Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education,’ Nigeria had joined the world with various legislations and policies to reposition teaching to attain professional status.

Acoording to him: “My administration would continue to leave no stone unturned in promoting teachers’ welfare and quality of education. I am aware that this year’s commemoration emphasizes the pivotal role that teachers play in shaping the future of education and the urgent need to incorporate their perspectives into educational policy and decision-making processes.

“Government policies and legislation have ensured availability, accessibility, professional development, motivation, monitoring, and evaluation systems, in practical terms.

Relatedly, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, said the Federal Ministry of Education is fully committed to ensuring that teachers are empowered and equipped for the task ahead.

Meanwhile, former Senate President Saraki and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Obi, have commended teachers in the country for their service to humanity.

Saraki, in his message on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, described them as “the unsung architects of our minds. They shape our thinking, mould our beliefs, and ignite the curiosity within us. Their influence is profound, yet often overlooked.”

He added, “Today, let us all take a moment in our respective homes to honour the teachers who have guided us, inspired us, and shaped us into the individuals we are today.”

For Obi, “On this World Teachers’ Day, I join the global community in celebrating members of a very unique profession that forms the basis of human development. World Teachers’ Day is a day to celebrate all teachers, especially teachers in Nigeria, whose dedication and resilience have kept the fires of the education sector burning, even against all  odds.”

Meanwhile, as part of the activities to celebrate the day, the NUT on Saturday revealed an alarming manpower crisis where some primary schools in the country are barely manned by one or two teachers.

The National President of NUT, Audu Amba, who spoke in Abuja, said the manpower crisis has left pupils to suffer learning poverty with a bleak future ahead, adding that the situation in junior and senior secondary schools, especially in rural communities, is worrisome.

His words: “In Nigeria, the UBEC (2024) survey indicates that there is a shortage of 194,876 teachers in public primary schools across the country. NUT expressed displeasure over the non-implementation of some welfare packages for teachers announced by former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2020 WTD.

“We called on federal and state governments to ensure full implementation of the approved incentives to boost the morale of teachers in the discharge of their professional duties. We congratulate teachers on their courage and sacrifices in the face of daunting challenges and charge them to continue to uphold the ideals of the  profession,” Amba added.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, while congratulating teachers for their tireless efforts, assured of the government’s support towards teachers empowerment and training in technological skills.

Sununu, who acknowledged the challenges of teachers and pledged the ministry’s commitment to address them, said, “The Federal Ministry of Education is fully committed to ensuring that our teachers are empowered and equipped for the task ahead. We are working diligently to improve teacher training, professional development, and working conditions across the country.”