This followed the declaration of work-free day for teachers by the state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela.
The statement read, “Teachers are an integral part of national development as they passionately mould the lives of future leaders.”
“We urge them not to relent in their calling to reposition the education sector and collaborate with the state government towards ensuring the success of our Education Reform Initiatives in view of the current national economic challenges.”
In light of the celebration, the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the government at all levels to accord education its pride of place in their budgetary and fiscal policies.
In the statement signed by the chapter’s Chairman, Mr Samuel Akano and Secretary, Mr Waheed Olojede, the NUT called on government to devote more funds to address many of the challenges confronting the Nigeria education system such as collapsed infrastructures and delayed instructional facilities.
The union expressed mixed feelings and sober reflections arising from the plights and the miserable service conditions of teachers nationwide as occasioned by nonpayment of monthly salaries, allowances and pensions of retired teachers.
This is as the NUT called on parents to rise up to their responsibilities in the education of their children.
and then