The stage is set for a battle between the Edo State government and primary schools teachers as academic activities resume in the state on February 1 with the teachers’ union, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, directing the teachers not to resume work.
This was just as the state government on Friday announced a “no work no pay policy over the matter.
The state government had penultimate week, closed down all schools in the state till February 1 in the wake of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the country and on Friday, approved the resumption of full academic activities for public primary schools in the state on Monday, February 1.
Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, in a statement, noted that parents and guardians were expected to make their children and wards ready for resumption on the scheduled date.
Ogie re-emphasised that all public school teachers and head teachers were also required to be present in their various schools as failure to resume work on the said date would be considered forfeiture of salary, adding that the “government has activated the No Work, No Pay policy.”
“This is to inform all parents, teachers and the general public that all public primary schools in Edo State shall resume full activities on Monday, 1st February 2021″, the statement read.
“Parents and guardians are expected to make their children and wards ready for resumption on this date. The Edo State government wishes to reemphasise that all public school teachers and head teachers are required to be present in their various schools.
“Failure to resume work would be considered forfeiture of salary as government has activated the No Work, No Pay policy.”
Ogie further noted: “Head teachers and teachers who are desirous of staying away from work in support of the sponsored strike action by certain elements of the Edo State branch of the Nigerian Union of Teachers are required to hand over all school property in their custody to their respective education secretaries.”
The NUT in the state had in a statement issued on Wednesday asked public primary schools teachers to disregard the state government’s directives on the resumption of academic activities until all issues in dispute between the union and the state government were resolved.