From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has lamented the deplorable state of education and its infrastructures in Nigeria, particularly public basic education, as well as welfare of the teachers therein who are deeply involved in imparting education and knowledge on the children.
The Union thus advocated urgent actions that would reverse the trend, making quality education affordable and accessible to the people, whilst teachers are adequately motivated and rewarded on earth instead of heaven as hitherto believed, generally.
NUT President, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, made the demand in Abuja, on Thursday, at a one-day capacity building workshop for State Chairmen and Secretaries of the Union, which was organized in partnership with Education International (EI) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), under the framework of the global response to privatisation and commercialization of education project.
Comrade Amba expressed concerns over the growing unchecked activities of commercial school operators and other non-state actors which are not in line with the desire of the government and union to provide compulsory quality education for Nigerian children.
He added: “We are also using this opportunity to launch the ‘Go Public! Fund Education’ campaign, which is a global call for adequate funding of education, and the teaching profession, to ensure provision of quality public education for all.
“It is expected that the leadership of the State Wings of the Union will, as a follow up, flag-off the ‘Go Public! Fund Education’ campaign in their respective States during the 2024 World Teachers’ Day (WTD) celebration on 5th October, 2024.
“As we embark on this campaign for the protection of the right to education through provision of free, inclusive and equitable quality public education for all, we are not unaware of the fact that the National Policy on Education (NPE) provides for participation of private providers of education to complement the efforts of Government.
“But we are totally against the unchecked commercialization of education and the activities of non-state actors that often trample on the rights of both teachers and learners. To this end, Government must adequately invest in education and the teaching profession to ensure protection and fulfillment of the right of every child to education.”
He urged participants to use the opportunity provided by the workshop to learn, share ideas and build capacities for better engagement and propagation of the principles and ideals they uphold and stand for, in the struggles as agents of change and builders of the nation.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Dennis Sinyolo, the Director of EI’s African Regional Office, in his presentation, neutralised the argument that private schools are better than public schools, insisting that quality of education and discipline in public schools, as well as legacies, cannot be compared with private schools operations that are profit-driven.
He, however, informed the teachers that technology is reshaping the world, and there is need for them to embrace the digital transformation, and keep themselves updated so they could remain relevant and not outdated.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, in his remarks, appreciated the teachers for their great contributions to the development of Nigeria and its people.
He maintained that government alone cannot fund education, hence the decision to open up the space for private sector investment under a strict monitoring and supervision. “No country has succeeded in education without private sector participation”
He hinted that a brand new curriculum for basic and secondary schools will be launched in few weeks time. “This new curriculum will address some of the challenges being experienced in our education system. The current curriculum is obviously obsolete, because it lacks the solution to the challenges in the education system.
“The new curriculum was well designed by experts, and it has good coverage of all areas including technology which has redefined the world using Artificial Intelligence (AI) being the new additions. Chalkboards must be replaced with smartboards, and we are doing that already through the efforts of UBEC that is currently building 37 Smart Schools across the country.”
He pledged the support of the Federal Ministry of Education to the ‘Go Public! Fund Education’ campaign, and assured that the Ministry will support any cause that will improve funding of education in Nigeria.
