LAGOS – The Lagos Wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has appealed to the state government to restore all allowances being withheld.
Mr. Segun Raheem, the state NUT Chairman, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
According to him, some allowances that were paid by the previous administrations had been stopped.
Raheem was speaking against the backdrop of some challenges facing teachers in the state.
“Government has not done anything specific for teachers.
“Otherwise, it has been a situation of allowances being enjoyed before that are being cut off.
“Such allowances are the sport allowances for the physical and health education teachers due to the rigorous work they are subjected to.
“Other allowances are the duty post allowances for head teachers to run their schools, rural/ riverine allowances for those who teach in such areas, mathematics and science allowances, among others,” he said.
Raheem said government was making effort to discourage teachers by the refusal to pay the outstanding 11.3 per cent of the Teachers Scheme Allowance (TSA).
He alleged that the payment of theses allowances was long overdue, saying that various appeals had been made to the government and all these had proved abortive.
Raheem said that the teachers in the state public schools were being over burdened as there had not been employment of teachers in the state for 12-years.
“Our teachers have been dying, retiring and leaving the service and there has been no replacement.
“This is telling on our teachers and the pupils because the teachers cannot do beyond their capacity.
“Even in the secondary schools, there is what we call review of teachers, it is at that time we experience a wrong distribution of subject.
“We have experienced cases of a teacher who is a major in Economics made to teach English or Social Studies major made to teach integrated science.
“It could be attributed to shortfall of teachers in secondary schools too.
“All these are the challenges and if they are put in place, it is an indication of motivation that will appeal to teachers to do more,” he said.
He advised the Nigerian Research and Development Council to organise a forum where all stakeholders in education would come together to review and restructure the curriculum.
Raheem also said that the Nigerian University Commission should look into the admission policy into the colleges of education.
“Education agencies should look into the admission policy of those drawn to study education.
“Those who do have the prerequisite are drafted to colleges of education and asked to sign a bond that they will have the prerequisite before they complete their studies.
“This will, therefore, produce half baked teachers who are teachers by chance and not by choice which is not a healthy practice because being a teacher is a calling,” he said.
Raheem said that education is a way of integrating youths into the society.
“By the time all that is mentioned is done, it will be putting the right step into nation building.
