Why we are sacking teachers —Private school proprietors

PROPRIETORS of private schools in Nigeria, on Tuesday, disclosed that most schools across the have been constrained to reduce the number of their staff as a result of the current recession in the country.

The proprietors, under the auspices of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), said a large percentage of parents had been unable to pay school fees of their children.

President of NAPPS, Dr Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko, spoke in Abuja while briefing newsmen, as part of activities marking its 10th Education Conference, scheduled for today, to review the performance of private schools and the efforts to enthrone international best practices in the country.

Adukwu-Bolujoko, however, advised all the estimated over one million members of NAPPS nationwide not to increase school fees because of the recession.

Justifying the sack of some teachers by the proprietors, she said the cost of running the schools were enormous, including the burden of multiple taxation by the government.

She stressed that there would be job losses because globally, recession comes with job losses.

She also called on the Federal Government to establish Education Bank like the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture, to support private school owners.

Adukwu-Bolujoko, speaking further, said most private schools in Nigeria could only access bank loans with higher interest rates, ranging from 25 to 30 per cent.