President Nasir Idris of the National Union of Teachers, or NUT, discussed how the Federal Government’s proposed new salary structure would help teachers perform better. He also called for a creation of a body that would settle teachers’ payment of salaries.
Mr Idris said Nigerian teachers had been demoralised due to poor service, and many others quit the profession out of frustration. He condemned the poor treatment the country’s primary school teachers received.
“There are some states that have not implemented the minimum wage for teachers. But on the other hand, they have implemented for state workers,” he added.
According to Mr Idris, some states pay secondary teachers their salaries or minimum wage, but not in primary schools.
Daily Trust reported some state governments even owe primary school teachers a backlog of salaries ranging from 6 to almost 15 months. The responsible states include Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Taraba, Imo, Rivers, and Ondo.
The teaching profession, especially primary school teachers, is not seen as attractive due to a barrier between occupations.
Hence, NUT advocates and supports the removal of teachers from the local governments and the creation of a body akin to the Universal Basic Education Board or National Primary Education Commission during the military era.
Thanks I appreciate the removal of the primary school from the local government.