By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
Federal government through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission has completed work on the reviewed remuneration package for teachers in basic and secondary schools including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers’ allowance and peculiar allowance.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the occasion of World Teachers Day.
According to him, the implementation is awaiting conclusion of consultations with state governments and the National Assembly.
In order to mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school system, Adamu said that government has commenced the implementation of a teacher conversion programme with ICT training, starting with the Federal Civil Service.
“We are pleased to note that a number of states have also implemented the scheme”.
He further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with other agencies of Government has commenced the implementation of welfare programmes approved by Mr President for teachers including sponsorship to refresher training to benchmark best practices, building low-cost housing in rural areas and the introduction of a specialized pension scheme.
“Similarly, the biological children of teachers can now attend their respective schools at no cost as an additional incentive for committed service and in appreciation of the sacrificial spirit that propels it”, he said.
“We have revamped the curriculum and introduced history and religious knowledge as stand-alone subjects. We are also working with professional associations and religious bodies including the Nigerian Historical Society to address the shortage of teachers in specialized subjects”.
“We also have repositioned our intervention agencies and established the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) to fill the gap in that segment of our education tree. The amendment of the enabling law is at final stages in the National Assembly”.
He added that, after several failed attempts in the past, government have formulated a National Language Policy that will ensure the progressive and consistent development of Nigerian languages and prevent their extinction. A national launch is planned before the end of the Administration.
“The progress recorded by leveraging on ICT to improve access to educational resources and digital instruction across all tiers of learning aided our recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The education cloud created with the support of our development partners is now permanent feature in our schools. We are now poised to make the transition to modern tools and methods of instruction in our education system”.
“We have also expanded the Annual Presidential Teachers and Schools awards to cover more categories and a directive given for outstanding winners and other educators to be considered for National Awards and National Productivity Order of Merit awards. These have been implemented in the latest National honours list to serve as additional motivation for exemplary service and dedication to achieving learning outcomes”.
The Minister explained that, all these measures will not have the desired impact without the support of state governments and private proprietors.
” This is what informed the extensive consultations, sensitization and collaboration, often mistaken for delayed implementation or lack of political will, despite the serious revenue and security challenges that we face. We are confident that with the steps taken and the legal framework established thus far, their retention and sustainability is guaranteed”.
He congratulated all winners of the Presidential Teachers and Schools Awards and reiterated the focus on deepening the reforms in the education sector with enhanced funding to reach the desired goals.
Adamu called on states and local governments to prioritise the welfare of teachers by placing their salaries on first line charge in their respective budgets. This, we believe will provide a solution to the spectre of unpaid salaries.
“As we salute the resilience and dexterity of our teachers, I urge you to rededicate yourselves to the service of our country and its future generations trusting that with God on our side, victory is certain”, he added.
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