Aremu calls for restoration of teachers’ dignity

General Secretary, Textile and Garment Workers and Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Kwara state, Comrade Issa Aremu has said it was time to restore the dignity of teachers in Nigeria.

Comrade Aremu who was speaking in Ilorin,Kwara state during this year’s World Teachers Day, said the occasion called for reflection on the plight of workers.

WTD is observed on 5th October every year to honour teachers unions and associations globally.

It is also known as International Teacher’s Day.

WTD was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in deserved appreciation of teachers all over the world.

It is also a day to of teachers.

UNESCO adopted the theme of World Teacher’s Day 2018 “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher.” Comrade Aremu who is also a member of NEC of Nigeria Labour Congress, observed that while the education crisis in the state manifests in terms of falling quality, poor funding, dilapidated structures and abysmally poor sector management, the worst according to him is what he termed “the maltreatment of the teachers, the real drivers of education through delayed and outright nonpayment of salaries.” He observed that 2018 theme of World Teachers Day was a “a reminder to all governments that with well motivated, trained and qualified teachers education of our children is assured.” The labour leader however promised to compliment the efforts of NUT in restoring the old status of teachers, (the working teaching women and men in both private and public schools).

“Teachers must work under good and tolerable conditions for them to be able to build and sustain a knowledge society, adding that the “current shameful and inhuman non-payment and delayed payment of teachers’ salaries would soon become a thing of the past.

“Payment of salaries of school teachers lies in all tiers of governments.

We will also make sure that both public and private schools pay their teachers as at when due and with living wages too.

“Labour Party government would also recruit more professional teachers to address challenges of teacher shortage and provide incentives to encourage retention of qualified teachers.

“There will also be sufficient political will to regularly and promptly pay teachers in primary and secondary schools, the will lacking today in the present government” he said.

Leave a Reply