Lockdown: We are hungry, private schools teachers cry out

TEACHERS of private schools have appealed to the government to assist them with palliatives, saying the prolonged closure of schools as part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 is subjecting them to starvation.

In a statement signed by their spokesman, Abdul-Ganiyy Raji, and made available to the Tribune Education in Kaduna, the private school teachers said it would be callous of the government to wait for owners and teachers of private schools to start dying of starvation before it comes to their aid.

“We cannot afford to keep ignoring the welfare of private schools teachers. Private school teachers are now hungry.

“We must remember that private schools survive primarily on earnings from their customers (parents) and we all know that schools have not collected third term fees from their customers.

“All the sources of income of private schools have been blocked by the current lockdown. Government should please do something about private schools,” Raji said.

The group noted that for more than two months now, schools have been closed in compliance with the lockdown order imposed by the Federal Government to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

It said: “The government is commended for this bold step; we have to stay at home to be safe and to be alive. Different countries of the world have also taken diverse steps to forestall the further spread of the highly infectious virus.

“No right-thinking Nigerian will criticise the government for the closure of schools. We cannot afford to endanger the lives of our children or the lives of their teachers and other individuals who work in schools.

“However, while this lockdown lasts, is anybody talking about how school owners are coping with the salaries of their workforce at this difficult time? Is anybody discussing how school owners themselves are surviving and helping their family members during this lockdown?

“In Lagos for instance, schools were shut down as far back as March. We are in June. Are we aware that some school owners have not paid March and April salaries?”

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