NUT Demands Special Salary Structure For Teachers
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) wants the Federal Government to approve a special salary structure for teachers so as to address the peculiarities of the profession, and in line with present economic realities.
This is as the Federal Government said that plans were afoot to provide allowances and initiate annual retention benefits for teachers in order to attract them to rural communities.
The National President of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mohammed Nasir Idris, who spoke yesterday, at the 2019 celebration, with the theme, “Young Teachers: The Future of the Profession,” urged the Federal Government to urgently pay teachers of the 104 federal government colleges their 27.5 per cent enhanced professional allowances, noting that the payment would further motivate affected teachers to strive towards optimum performance and productivity.
Idris said: “It is our belief that a special salary structure for teachers would address the peculiarities of the teaching profession and give the profession its identity and status.
“We hereby make our humble submission that the proposal for a uniform Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) for all professional teachers in the country be given due attention and consideration.
President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Abubakar Malami said the Federal Government would collaborate with the states with a view to providing incentives to teachers, especially in the rural areas to encourage young talents to join the teaching profession.
“It has been stated that teachers are one of the most influential forces for equity, access and quality in education, this administration places much emphasis on human capital development,” Buhari said.
He added: “We shall give more attention to training and re-training of teachers in order to enhance their capacities for effective service delivery.”
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu said the theme of this year’s event progressively addressed some of the fundamental issues affecting teachers in particular and education in general in the country.
Represented by the Minister of State, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Adamu said there was need to revitalise the sector in order for it to create maximum impact.
He noted that revitalising the sector had given rise to the development of the Ministerial Strategic Plan, adding that the process was on course.
“Besides strengthening institutional framework in the educational system, a number of steps have been taken to increase access, which is the increase in the number of tertiary institutions…The numbers of these universities is an improvement over what it used to be
Adamu added: “Let us bear in mind that central to expanding access to these institutions are the young teachers who lecture in them, hence the urgent need to invest in young teachers.
He commended the Teachers’ Registration Council in its pursuit of teachers’ professionalism through registration and licensing all aimed at strengthening and improving teacher quality.
