World Teachers Day: We are making teaching attractive to best brains —FG

THE Federal Government on Tuesday said it is doing all it can to enhance the status of the teaching profession and make it attractive to the best brains in Nigeria.

The government has also revealed that it has supported the training of over 132,682 teachers through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), as part of on the job capacity building between 2016 and 2017.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said this in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the 2017 World Teachers Day celebration holding on Thursday.

He lamented the plight of teachers in Nigeria, especially the condition of teachers who are being owed several months of salaries by some state governments.

He said the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the welfare of workers across the nation and had shown this through providing facilities to states to pay workers’ salary arrears.

While underscoring the importance of teachers in society, the Minister said the theme of this year’s celebration: “Teaching in Freedom-Empowering Nigerian Teachers for the 21st Century Challenges” was apt and in tune with the Ministerial Strategic Plan (2016-2019) of the Ministry of education, captioned “Education for Change”.

Adamu, said: “The present administration attaches great importance to teacher education in Nigeria. Teacher production and quality are the key factors to quality education and delivery.

“The Federal Ministry of education, will, therefore, enhance the status of the teaching profession and make it attractive to the best brains.

“This will be achieved with the launch of the National Teacher Education policy,” he said.

Accordingly, he said the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) would as part its mandate persistently pursue the accreditation, monitoring and supervision of courses and programmes of teacher education institutions in Nigeria.

He also disclosed that TRCN has concluded arrangements to hold the next level of teachers’ professional qualifying examination on Saturday, 14th October 2017, in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He added that the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has between 2016 and 2017, provided on the job capacity building for 132,682 teachers across the states of the federation under its teacher education programme.

National President of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Michael Alogba Olukoya, in his goodwill message, said the annual observation of the World Teachers Day has helped to reawaken the consciousness of nations and their citizenry to the important role of teachers and the need for teachers to be accorded a status commensurate with the role they play in society.

The Director, Regional Office of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) whose message was read by Mrs Uchenna Udoji, said Nigerian teacher needs to be empowered to be able to deliver his or her best in the present digitalised world.

The UNESCO chief raised several posers including how Nigeria could produce quality, highly skilled and motivated teachers, as well as how to improve the working condition of teachers to ensure maximum service delivery among others.

(TRIBUNE)