BY LAW IBITOYE
The Ekiti state Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT) Comrade Daodu Bamidele Olaitan has called on stakeholders to prioritize constant development and well-being of teachers for utmost efficiency to create a just and egalitarian society.
The chairman who opined that numerous challenges bedeviling Nigeria education had affected the quality and quantity of teaching, needed to be urgently looked into.
Comrade Daodu disclosed this at 2024 World Teachers Day with the theme ” Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a new Social Contract for education” held at Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti on Saturday.
He said Teachers are a critical component and backbone of the education system; adding that ,their voices are very essential in understanding the complexities of teaching and learning. “They have firsthand experience of the challenges students face, the impact of policy decisions on classrooms, and the innovative solutions that can drive improvement and development, saying teachers voices were often marginalized, subdued, or dismissed in favor of bureaucratic or political interests”
While advocating a new social order for education, Comrade Daodu stressed that critical stakeholders should recognize the value of teachers and create opportunities for meaningful interaction, engagement, and participation that would empower them to take ownership of the profession. Saying, new social contract, new structures and mechanisms that facilitate teacher participation, such as teacher-led professional development, collaborative policy-making, and regular feedback loops must be developed. We must also address systemic barriers that silence teacher voices, including inadequate resources, excessive workload, and denial of promotion, discrimination, and lack of autonomy”
The Chairman who commended the giant strides of the Ekiti state government in the Education sector, highlighted the achievements to include: Sustenance of free and compulsory education in Ekiti State at Primary and Secondary School levels as well as Technical Colleges that started during the last regime.
– Curbing teachers’ molestation and child abuse.
– Prompt payment of salaries, allowances, and deductions as and when due.
– Payment of year 2016 Leave Bonus to Primary School Teachers that were not paid by the previous regime.
– Payment of year 2017 Leave bonus.
– Payment of year 2018 Leave Bonus for Primary School Teachers.
– Payment of running grants to both Primary and Secondary schools.
– Massive renovation of schools at both Primary and Secondary School Sectors.
– Employment of 1500 Primary School Teachers and over 500 Secondary School Teachers.
– Provision of infrastructures to schools, to aid teaching and learning.
– Free Bus Service for workers (teachers inclusive) and pupils/students (in the State Capital).
– Improvement in the performance of pupils and students in both Primary and Secondary Schools.
– Promotion of teachers up to 2022 which we believe that letters to that effect will soon be released.
– Granting of Car and Housing loans to secondary and primary school teachers.
– Appointment of serving teachers as Education Secretaries in the 16 Local Government Areas with provision of official Cars to the Education Secretaries.
– Appointment of Comrade Olukowade Adekemi Kehinde and others as Tutors-General.
– Promotion of graduate teachers to grade level 16 in primary school.
– Upward review of the Gratuity paid to our Senior Citizens, to mention but a few.
Comrade Daodu, hinted that despite the numerous provisions of the government, NUT wants Governor Oyebanji to attend to the following requests :
– Payment of 2018 Leave Bonus to Secondary School Teachers.
– Immediate implementation of 65 years of age and 40 years of service retirement. This policy has been implemented by many States including Ondo, Anambra, Jigawa, Kebbi, Edo, Delta and some other States without conditions attached.
– Regular Capacity building training for teachers to keep pace with the dynamics of education.
– Inclusion of Tutors-General and Headmaster General in government protocol and roll of Honours. We pray that these Tutors-General be treated as Permanent Secretaries.
– Employment of more teachers to fill existing vacancies in the classrooms.
– Provisions for better security in all our schools.
– More appointment of retired teachers as political office holders in the Government Agencies that have bearings with education e.g. SUBEB, TESCOM, BTVE, Ministry of Education.
– Prompt payment of arrears of gratuity and pension to retired teachers.
– Funding of Education: Government should allow relevant Stakeholders like PTA, Old Student Association, the Community etc in the funding of education since “education is the responsibility of all”.
– Extension of the post of Headmaster-General to cater for the three senatorial districts like the case of Tutor-General.
Also, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary School, (ASUSS) Comrade Sola Adigun urged Ekiti state government to provide adequate working tools for teachers to enhance their productivity. He added that teachers in secondary school should be given leeway to attain level 17 for a better carrier progression.
While Ekiti state Governor represented by, the Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs Monisade Afuye promised continuous sustenance of compulsory free Education of students from primary to secondary schools while assuring teachers of better treatment to maintaining the integrity of Ekiti state in Education sector.
Highpoints of 2024 celebration was presentation of 47.8 million naira to best Teachers in the state.