World Teachers Day: NUT Urges FG To Pay Federal Teachers 27.5 Per Cent Professional Allowance

The leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on Tuesday, called on the Federal Government to approve and implement the 27.5 per cent professional allowance for all teachers of the Federal Government Colleges.

The Union also called for the establishment of a Teachers’ Salary Structure (TSS), and other incentives for teachers to address the peculiarities of the teaching career and to uphold the true identity and status of the procession.

National President of NUT, Dr Nasir Idris, spoke during his presentation at a pre-event news conference on the 2020 World Teachers’ Day celebration, holding on October 5, where the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, disclosed that a total of 774 teachers would benefit from the President’s Teachers and Schools Excellence Award (PT&SEA) in addition to other prize winners.

Idris who was represented by the National Publicity Secretary of NUT, Amba Audu, also renewed calls for upward review of the retirement age of teachers and education officers.

While calling for the establishment of the national secondary education commission for proper coordination and effective management of secondary education in the country, NUT President also urged the implementation of the new minimum wage for all teachers, including primary and secondary teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He commended the Federal Ministry of Education for the concerted efforts made in partnership with other stakeholders towards combating the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigating its impact, especially on the education sector.

He said: “As the nation takes necessary steps to reopen schools at all levels for academic activities, we urge the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure that both state and non-state providers of education comply strictly with the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines in order to safeguard the health and safety of the learners, teachers and the school community as a whole.”

Minister who was also represented by the Minister of State for Education, Hon Chukuemeka Nwajiuba, said he would outline progress on reforms for pre-service, registration and licensing of professional teachers, continuous development of serving teachers, provision infrastructure, teaching facilities and welfare of teachers.

He said that the annual Presidential Excellence Awards to deserving teachers was designed to promoting excellence among the teachers.

The minister said that the 2020 WTD theme: “ Teachers: Learning in Crisis, Reimagining the Future’’, highlighted the imminent challenges affecting teachers in all climes.

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He said that the theme reiterated the importance of teachers in nation-building and their leadership roles in emergency situations.

He said there would be five award categories – Best Public School, Best Approved Private School, Best Public School Teacher, Best Approved Private School Teacher and Best Public School Administrator.

“Each category has three levels that accumulate to a total of 24 awards.

“Furthermore, 774 best teachers, one from each of the 774 Local Government Areas from which the best teachers were chosen, will also be rewarded to ensure that the process starts to originate from each local government in Nigeria,’’ he said.

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