Ei-iE

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), one of EI’s national affiliates, has criticised the House of Representatives’ vote to grant autonomy to Nigeria’s local Governments without addressing issues relating to the development of primary education.The House of Representatives’ stance is “sad, unfortunate and inconsiderate”, said the NUT, as it impedes the regular payment of primary school teachers’ salaries.

“NUT, as a trade union organisation representing professionals, has the duty to protect not only the rights and welfare of all teachers in Nigeria, but the practice of teaching and education in general,” said NUT President Michael Alogba Olukoya.

“Our union’s National Executive Council came to the crucial conclusion that all stakeholders have a critical role to play in finding a solution to the problem of education funding,” he said. “In particular, stakeholders must support our demand to give primary education a legal and legislative status through the framework of the proposed review of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.”

Legislation needed to support education

The NUT had hoped that stakeholders in education, in particular, and the wider economy, appreciated the danger facing primary education in Nigeria.  The union believes appropriate legislation at the National Assembly, supporting primary education, is vital.

“The planned abolition of the State Joint Local Government Accounts would be a disaster for quality education, if nothing is done to address the imminent effect of this abolition on the funding of basic education”, said Alogba Olukoya.

“NUT wants to make sure that never againshall primary school teachers in Nigeria know suffering, penury, deprivation and subjugation as a result of salary control by Local Government’s representatives”, he said. “The lesson must be learnt from experience.”

Proposed solutions

NUT proposed three options for teachers’ salaries:

·         Maintain the status quo and keep the State Joint Local Government Accounts to guarantee teachers’ salaries

·         Pay teachers’ salaries from the Federation Account, through the Universal Basic Education Commission

·         Hand over the responsibility of paying teachers’ salaries to the State Governments. In this case, the allocation of funds to the Local Governments to pay teachers’ salaries would have to be transferred to the State Government.  And, resources would have to be restructured in favour of the States to guarantee uninterrupted and unfettered basic education in Nigeria

EI: Support for Nigerian colleagues

“We firmly support our Nigerian colleagues’ struggle to ensure decent living and working conditions for educators in this country,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “EI reiterates that public authorities worldwide have the responsibility to ensure quality education for all, at all levels.”