Teachers in Lagos State have urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to speedily approve the elongation of their retirement age from 60 to 65 years or the period of service from 35 to 40 years as applicable and approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for all Nigerian teachers one year ago.
They also asked him to employ more qualified teachers and also provide more classrooms so as to decongest classrooms and make teaching and learning more effective in various schools across the state.
The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT), Lagos State wing, Mr Hassan Akintoye, made the appeal on Tuesday at an event organised by the chapter to commemorate this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebration held across the globe. AÂ lecture on the theme of the event “Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery” was delivered by Dr Margaret Oguntimeyin.
The teachers’ boss said governments of three out the 36 states of the federation, namely Adamawa, Anambra and Kano, had already approved and commenced the implementation of the new retirement age policy without waiting for the National Assembly legislation.
“So, we want our teachers-friendly governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to also let Lagos, being the centre of excellence, do likewise with immediate implementation.
“We strongly believe that such a policy would further motivate us to bring to bear our wealth of experience on the job.”
Mr Akintoye however, commended the state government in its efforts in the last three years towards moving the education sector forward.
He said the union acknowledged the rehabilitation and construction of more classrooms, recruitment of teachers, regular payment of salaries and allowances, training and retraining of teachers, giving of excellence awards to exceptionally performed teachers and so forth, saying they have resolved to reciprocate the efforts through improved service delivery.
In his address at the event, the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended all the teachers in the state for what he called their strong commitment to the production of total students for the future socio-political and economic development of the country.
The governor, who was represented at the event, asked the teachers to be more committed to duty.
He said the state government would continue to make their conditions of service and welfare a priority.
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