NUT charges FG on quality public education, condemns privatization

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has re-echoed its stand against attempt to legalise profit-making in the provision of education, saying “it is anti-ethical to our quest, desire and commitment as a nation to provide free, inclusive and equitable quality education for all in line with the sustainable development goal four.”

The NUT stated this in a communiqué made available to the Nigerian Tribune at the end of the a one-day workshop on “Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education in Nigeria,” organised by the EDOLOOKOE region of NUT in partnership with Education International (EI) and Fredrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), held in Ibadan on Tuesday  last week.

While the union condemned in strong terms privatiasation and commercialization of education in the country, it noted that the turn had the effect of engendering decline in public investment in education, thereby weakening efforts to strengthen and expand the provision of free, inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

It added that privatisation and commercialisation of education in any guise, would create stratification, segregation and inequalities in education, thereby denying the less-privileged, the disadvantaged and the vulnerable, especially children with disabilities, the girl-child and those living in rural areas, access to quality education.

The union according to the communiqué, therefore demanded that government at all levels should not abdicate their responsibility to regulate, monitor and revalidate the operations of private providers of education based on set standards, be alive to its obligation to guarantee the right to education by providing free, inclusive, equitable quality education for the benefit of the nation’s children and citizenry.

It also charged international financing institutions and development partners to review their education financing policies in favour of public education, rather than funding profit making private ventures.

It added that government should invest more in education by allocating the internationally recommended benchmarks of six per cent of GDP and 20 per cent of the national budget to education.

While NUT also called on public authorities, stakeholders and every well-meaning Nigerian to stand up for quality public education and shun privatisation and commercialisation which tend to undermine the right of the children to quality education, it averred that, “it is a choice we must make; it is a duty we owe our children and the future of our nation.”

In his address, the group chairman, NUT, EDOLOOKOE, Mr Victor Amoko, noted that the aim of the workshop is to generate and expand global response on privatisation and commercialisation of education project to the zonal level in Nigeria.

He appreciated the Education international (EI) and Fredrich Elbert Stiftung for their partnership and unflinching support in the struggle to make education affordable and accessible to the Nigerian children and youths.

The NUT, national president, Comrade Nasir Idris, who was represented at the event by his first vice president, Mr Kayode Akosile, asserted that education is the sole responsibility of the government, saying though government alone cannot singularly fund education, it should not abrogate its duty of education funding to the private sector.”

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who was represented by Mrs Adebola Adeleye, in his goodwill message, denounced the proliferation of private schools of all kinds and shades across the country, adding that the entry of the international education business companies have made acquisition of education solely for the rich, thereby intimidating the low-income-earning parents.

He hinted that the Federal government through the Federal Ministry of Education has developed an “Education for Change” blueprint, tagged Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP), 2018-2022, intended to provide the road map for an accelerated delivery of inclusive quality education to Nigerian citizens.

Also speaking at the event, the registrar of Teachers Regulation Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Professor Olusegun Ajiboye, said  “the NUT has not only gone beyond fighting for the welfare of its members but also getting involved in the affairs of the citizenry.”

“Privatisation is a thing of concern to all us. We cannot price education beyond the rich of the poor; doing this will be a disservice.  The bedrock of all the challenges we are having in the country today is due to lack of education. There will be a great turn around if people get the right education.

“Democracy cannot work in a place where the majority of the people lack proper education,” Ajiboye said.

President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Mr Haruna Danjuma in his goodwill message decried the learning conditions in public schools across the nation, while calling on the  government for workable plans to address security issues in the country.

Other dignitaries present at the global response workshop were Mrs Adebola Odeleye, who represented the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu; chairman, Education Committee, Oyo Sate House of Assembly, Olufemi Oluwafowokanmi; representatives of commissioners of education in the SouthWest,  NUT state chairmen, resource persons, among others.

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