TheNewsGuru

Tag: Teachers

  • We are not owing teachers 28 months arrears in Osun – Official

    The Statistician-General, State of Osun, Professor Wasiu Gbolagade has debunked media reports making the rounds that the state is owing teachers 28 months salary arrears.

    Prof. Gbolagade in a media release observed that the claim that the state was owing her teachers 28 months half salaries was inaccurate and totally at variance with the situation of things in the state.

    According to him, the bulk of the teachers in the state falls within a salary category that get their full monthly salary and allowances. ‘’the accurate data in the State Bureau of Statistics shows that the Government of State of Osun is not owing salaries of any worker or teachers in the grade level 1 to 7 which falls into 40% of the total population of teachers in the State.’’

    He stated further that only ten percent of teachers in the state falls under the salary modulation system whereby they are paid 75 percent of their monthly emoluments. ‘’workers and teachers on level 8-10 which falls into 10% of the total population of teachers collects 75% of their salaries every month which means government is owning them 25% of their salaries. The categories that falls into level 12-17 are the ones getting half of their emoluments.’’ he noted.

    Professor Gbolagade noted that to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of workers in the state, the Aregbesola administration, in spite of paucity of funds, paid workers across all grade levels full salary in the month of December 2017.

     

  • Teachers’ sack: Suspension of strike action by NUT is victory for public education – El-Rufai

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Monday said the recent suspension of the strike action embarked upon by the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) without recalling any of the dismissed teachers is victory for public education system in the state.

    Recall that the NUT, supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress, had called the strike to demand the recall of about 22,000 primary school teachers sacked by the state government for failing a competency test.

    In his first public reaction to the collapse of the NUT strike, Mr. El-Rufai said there was no time to dwell on the euphoria of removing trade union obstacle to better standards in the education sector.

    In a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, Mr. El-Rufai at a meeting with the state’s 23 local government administrators and their Education Secretaries, said the focus must now be on implementing the education reforms in a way that upholds standards and improves the welfare of teachers.

    At the meeting, the state primary education board, SUBEB, chairman, Nasir Umaru, reaffirmed plans for the first batch of new teachers to be appointed by February 2018.

    SUBEB informed the meeting that interviews for applicants who passed the recruitment test conducted on 20 December, 2017 will commence on Wednesday, 24 January.

    ” The interviews will be conducted across the 23 local government areas by panels comprising experienced personnel from the Teacher Development Programme and other professionals,” Mr. Umaru said.

    Mr. El-Rufai said that the education reforms in the state require that a commitment to standards be sustained and new incentives provided for teachers.

    “Among these incentives would be a new salary scale for teachers and provision of houses for teachers posted to rural schools,” he said.

    The governor observed that the difficulty in securing decent accommodation in rural areas has led to over-concentration of teachers in urban centres.

    He said the Ministry of Education will provide designs for construction of buildings with at least six flats for teachers and a bungalow for head-teachers in rural schools.

    On education standards, he said the state had passed a law to establish the Quality Assurance Board to uphold standards in schools, while the state university-owned Kaduna State University, KASU, had been directed to establish an Institute of Education to provide continuous training for teachers.

    He further said that the current recruitment exercise will prioritise teachers of English, Mathematics and the Sciences. To expand the production of such teachers, the governor disclosed that the College of Education, Gidan-Wayawill will adjust its curriculum so that most of its products are trained in Primary Education Studies, Mathematics, English and the Sciences.

    The local government administrators and Education Secretaries commended Mr. El-Rufai for the unwavering manner in which the state government is implementing its education reforms.

    They noted that the governor’s determined stance had defeated trade union power that was being used improperly, and that teachers are now ready for a new phase.

     

  • Bayelsa Govt allays teachers fear over reforms

    Bayelsa Govt allays teachers fear over reforms

    Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has assured that the State Government would not sack any teacher as a result of the on-going public service reforms.

    Public primary and secondary schools in the state were shut down due to the on-going strike which entered its 11th day on Thursday.

    A statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr Fidelis Soriwei, on Thursday said the governor gave the assurance at the inauguration of the Governing Councils of two state owned tertiary institutions.

    The strike was embarked by the Nigeria Union of Teachers over outstanding salary of eight months owed primary school teachers in the state.

    Dickson said that the government would rather train and retrain the teachers in the state for greater productivity.

    The institutions involved were Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama; and the Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, at Ogbia.

    The governor said only teachers with fake certificates or those who refuse to be at their duty posts to work have reasons to be afraid of sack.

    He enjoined the chairmen and members of the new governing boards to ensure that only people who should be in the institutions are engaged.

    He stressed that the previous practice in the state where unborn children, octogenarians and retirees were dubiously included in the payroll should not be tolerated.

    He said the government would provide grants to all state-owned tertiary institutions with effect from January, as well as upgrade their infrastructure and enhance their revenue generating capacity.

    “You are self-accounting and self-governing but we will give you grant as you have proposed.

    “We expect you to sit down with your management and get only those staff that you need to run effective courses and programmes.

    “Indeed, the only constant factor is the academic factor because they are academic institutions. You need more academic staff.

    “The former ways of opening gates of employment to everybody, including unborn children, people who stay away in Lagos and are collecting salary, 80 years or more people still getting salaries, all these have to stop.

    “You have to save that money for your institution.

    “You must take firm decisions as a council. This year will witness a lot of training by all cadres of public servants, especially teachers.

    “Our policy is not to sack any teacher unless they don’t go to work, unless they have fake certificates, or they have committed any other acts of misconduct.

    “Our policy from this year is to ensure that teachers go through the period of training and retraining.

    “There is already a bill before the House of Assembly that will mandate certification for all teachers in all schools in this state.”

    In their separate responses, the chairman of the Governing Council of the Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Chief Thompson Okorotie, and his College of Health Technology counterpart, Sen. Rufus Inatimi-Spiff, expressed gratitude to Dickson for the appointment.

    They promised to do their best in order not to fail in their new responsibilities.

    Members of the Governing Council of the Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education are Mrs Mary Omuso, Dr Gabriel Apaingolo, Mr Ojo Magbisa, Ms Ruby Itonyo, Mr Gabriel Obonin and Dr Tonye Ogiriki.

    Their counterparts for the College of Health Technology Governing Council are Dr Isaac Oworodo, Mr Oyinkuro Lagos, Ms Bini Ayafa and Chief Okoko Stample Esau.

     

  • We won’t sack you, Dickson assures Bayelsa teachers

    Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State on Thursday assured teachers on its payroll that the state government wouldn’t sack them.

    Instead, Dickson said the government would train and retrain the teachers for greater productivity.

    A statement signed by Dickson’s Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, said the governor gave the assurance when he inaugurated the Governing Councils of Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, and the Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, at the Government House in Yenagoa.

    But the governor said only teachers with fake certificates or persons, who refused to be at their duty posts to work had reasons to be afraid of sacking.

    He enjoined the chairmen and members of the new governing boards to engage only people who should be in the institutions.

    Dickson stressed that his administration would not tolerate the previous practice in the state where unborn children, octogenarians and retirees were dubiously included in the payrolls.

    He said the government would provide grants to all state-owned tertiary institutions with effect from this month to beef up their infrastructures and enhance their revenue generating capacity.

    He said: “You are self-accounting and self-governing but we will give you grant as you have proposed. We expect you to sit down with your management and get only those staff that you need to run effective courses and programmes. Indeed, the only constant factor is the academic factor because they are academic institutions. You need more academic staff.

    “The former ways of opening gates of employment to everybody, including unborn children, people who stay away in Lagos and are collecting money, people who are as old as 80 years or more, who should have retired has to stop. You have to save that money for your institution.

    “You must take firm decisions as a council. This year will witness a lot of training by all cadres of public servants, especially teachers. Our policy is not to sack any teacher unless they don’t go to work, unless they have fake certificates, or they have committed any other acts of misconduct.

    “Our policy from this year is to ensure that teachers go through the period of training and retraining. There is already a bill before the House of Assembly that would mandate certification for all teachers in all schools in this state.”

    The governor also mandated the newly inaugurated boards to strengthen the capacity of the two institutions.

  • Mass sack: El-Rufai, NUT reach truce as sacked teachers set to apply

    The Kaduna Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Thursday called off its ten days old strike and directed teachers in the state to resume duties immediately.

    The chairman of the state chapter of the union, Mr. Audi Amba, stated this shortly after the state’s Executive Council emergency meeting in Kaduna.

    Teachers in the state public primary schools went on strike January 8, 2018 following a directive from the NUT in the state that they should go on indefinite strike to force Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s administration to reverse the sacking of over 20,000 of its members for failing a primary four competency test it conducted in June 2017.

    Also, in solidarity with the union, organised labour, led by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, last week (Thursday) defied the huge presence of security operatives to ground the state to protest the sacking of the teachers.

    Amba, while adducing reasons for calling off the strike, said the governor had decided to give the 21,780 teachers said to have failed the Primary Four competency test another opportunity for consideration for recruitment into teaching profession.

    He noted that as a union committed to the support of the state government in its drive for qualitative education, the union had no choice than to call off its 10-day-old strike.

    He commended members for their steadfastness during the struggle; and the leadership of the Labour movement in the country and the general public which identified with their plight.

  • Kaduna teachers dare E-Rufai, commence indefinite strike

    In an apparent disregard to the earlier warnings of Governor Nasir El-Rufai for teachers on the payroll of the state government not to join the proposed strike by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), teachers in public secondary and primary schools in Kaduna State on Monday began an indefinite strike, protesting job security and welfare.

    The strike was called by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

    The government, on Sunday, threatened to sack any teacher that joined the strike.

    In some schools in Kaduna, only security guards were about.

    At the LGEA Primary School in Mahuta and Unguwan Boro, security guards were on the premises; the classrooms were locked.

    A security guard said no teacher had resumed and pupils returned home after hanging about with no teacher to attend to them.

    At LGEA Primary School, Unguwan Mu’azu, some teachers were about but no pupil was sighted.

    A teacher, who begged for anonymity, said pupils were told to return home, adding that the teachers were hanging about should there be a directive from NUT.

    At Rimi College in Unguwan Rimi, management workers were at their duty posts.

    However, at Government Girls Secondary School, Unguwan Mu’azu and Government Girls Secondary School, Independence Way, teachers and management workers, who resumed, said they did not see the NUT circular on the strike.

    Reports from Zaria, Sabongari, Makarfi, Soba, Giwa and Ikara local government areas, showed compliance with the strike as teachers and pupils remained at home.

    The NUT Chairman in Zaria council, Yahaya Abbas, said the strike was inevitable as the government ignored efforts to meet their demands.

    He contended that the sack of about 22,000 teachers, a reason for the strike, was done in disregard to civil service rules and regulations.

    Your strike can’t save sacked teachers – El-Rufai tells NUT

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai has told the union that its strike can’t return the 21,780 sacked teachers to work.

    A statement by his media aide, Samuel Aruwan, stressed that the government will not allow the “selfishness” of a tiny minority ruin the future of two million children.

    The statement reads: “The Kaduna State government hails the teachers who reported dutifully to their posts. Though NUT officials tried to unlawfully prevent teachers from working, many defied this intimidation.

    “The government is collating reports from its Education Administrators and all teachers who absented themselves from work will face the severest penalties applicable in the public service rules.

    “Across the state, the illegality of the NUT’s strike action is being compounded by physical attempts to frustrate those teachers who wish to work. No law permits any worker to tamper with another’s right to work.

    “The government is resolute in its determination to protect the future of the children of the poor. Ordinary citizens are entitled to expect public primary schools to deliver a decent standard of education. At least, two million pupils are enrolled in public primary schools and their interests come first.

    “The government is delighted to inform the public that marking of scripts of the 43,000 applicants for teaching positions is now concluded. The recruitment process to inject 25,000 qualified teachers into our public schools will now move to the next phase.

    “The Kaduna State government will not allow the selfishness of a tiny minority ruin the future of two million children.”

  • Strike: Obey NUT, get dismissed from service, El-Rufai warns Kaduna teachers

    The Kaduna State Government has warned its teachers on its payroll to disregard calls by the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to embark on an indefinite strike starting from Monday (today).

    Academic activities are scheduled to resume in all government schools on January 8 across the state after the Christmas and New Year holidays.

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, earlier on Sunday called on all teachers to remain at home until the state government reverses its decision to sack over 21,000 primary school teachers who scored below 75 per cent in a competency test. The NUT said it had given the state government two weeks’ notice to rescind the decision, which has since lapsed.

    Earlier in the new year, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, had also criticised the government’s decision to proceed with the sack despite a suit at the National Industrial Court on the matter.

    However, in a statement signed by Governor El-Rufai’s spokesperson, Samuel Aruwan, the government warned the teachers not to heed the call of the NUT.

    “It has come to the notice of the Kaduna State Government that the state branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has declared an indefinite strike. This is an illegal action, and will not achieve its aim of derailing the education reforms being implemented by the government.

    “The Kaduna State Government is not available to be blackmailed into knowingly retaining unqualified teachers. Neither would it mortgage the future of two million primary school pupils because failed teachers are shamelessly mobilizing sentiment.

    “At the invitation of the Federal Ministry of Labour, the Kaduna State Government twice met in Abuja with the officials of the NLC and the NUT. The Governor Nasir El-Rufai personally led the Kaduna State delegation to the first meeting. During these interactions, Kaduna state made it clear that as an employer, it has every right to determine who its employees are or can be, and the minimum qualifications they must possess.”

    Mr. Aruwan then declared the government’s threat.

    “The Kaduna State Government wishes to inform the public that it has instructed its Education administrators to open registers in all its schools, starting from Monday, 8th January 2018.

    “Any teacher that is absent from work will be treated with the consequences that pertain to absconding from duty under the Public Service Rules. There can be no doubt that state will take firm and decisive disciplinary action against personnel who absent themselves from duty, including dismissal from service.

    “Kaduna State recalls that the NUT placed primary school pupils, who are the victims of failing teachers, in danger by pushing them into the streets to demonstrate for the retention of bad teachers. That ruse failed. Some union leaders are also likely to be prosecuted for assault, unlawful procession and destruction of public property when they attacked the State House of Assembly.

    “The children of the poor are the ones that attend public primary schools. We owe them a decent standard of education, and we shall provide it.”

  • Court stops sack of over 20,000 Kaduna teachers

    The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Kaduna division, on Thursday, stopped the planned sack of 21,780 primary school teachers who failed a competency test organised by the state government.

    The lawyer representing the teachers, Samuel Atum, had on October 30 filed a motion of “interlocutory injunction”, asking the court to restrain the government from dismissing or disengaging any teacher on the basis of the test conducted in June 2017.

    Justice Lawal Mani granted the application pending the determination of the substantive suit. The case was adjourned to February 6th, 2018.

    The hearing on Thursday was attended by hundreds of teachers and labour leaders.

    The lawyer, Mr. Atum, praised the court for “graciously” giving the order.

    “This is democracy and the premise of democracy is the rule of law, so we expect nothing more than absolute submission by the state government to comply with the order of the court,” he told journalists. “I have confidence that the government will comply or obey this order.”

    Lawyers representing the State Attorney General and the State Government, as well as Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, declined comments.

  • Borno promotes 3,000 teachers

    The Borno State Government on Sunday said it had promoted 3,000 teachers in an effort to improve teachers’ welfare and transform its education sector.

    Alhaji Kaka-Ali Abba, the Education Secretary, Maiduguri Municipal Council, said this in an interview in Maiduguri on Sunday.

    Abba said that the state government approved the promotion of teaching and non-teaching staff who had not benefitted from the exercise in the past eight years.

    According to him, the newly promoted teachers from 27 local government areas are currently awaiting payment of annual increment and promotion arrears.

    Abba said that the state government prioritised the education sector through school rehabilitation projects, provision of furniture and instructional materials as well as teacher development programmes.

    He said the Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ) was working with the state government to ensure full implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage for teachers in eight local government areas.

    NAN

  • Africa needs services of 11m doctors, nurses, teachers to avert impending ‘disaster’- UN

    Africa needs 11 million more doctors, nurses and teachers by 2030 to prevent a “social and economic disaster” that could propel millions to migrate, the UN said on Thursday.

    It said the 11 million were needed to help the continent cope with a booming population, with the number of children set to increase by 170 million to 750 million in the next 13 years.

    “We are at the most critical juncture for Africa’s children,” Leila Pakkala of the UNICEF said in a statement.

    “Get it right, and we could … lift hundreds of millions out of extreme poverty, and contribute to enhanced prosperity, stability, and peace,” said Pakkala, who heads UNICEF operations in eastern and southern Africa.

    The UN’s children agency attributed the boom in births to high fertility rates, a rising number of women of reproductive age and lower child mortality.

    UNICEF said by the end of the century, one in two children worldwide will live in Africa.

    If they reach working age both schooled and healthy, they could spur economic growth – but for that to happen, Pakkala said investment in education and health were badly needed.

    UNICEF added that more schools must be built.

    The UN agency said that teachers, doctors, midwives and health workers must be trained and encouraged to stay in their community rather than move to cities or abroad.

    More than one in five Africans aged six to 11 are not in school.

    Girls, in particular, are more likely never to see a classroom, waylayed by child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

    Six in ten Africans lack access to basic sanitation and on average there are only 1.7 medical professionals per 1,000 inhabitants, well below the minimum international standard of 4.45 set by the WHO.

    To bridge the gap, 5.6 million health workers and 5.8 million teachers have to be trained by 2030.

    If it fails to invest in its future, Africa risks a “demographic disaster, characterised by unemployment and instability,” UNICEF said.

    It painted a picture where a lack of jobs, rapid urbanization and climate change could force millions to flee the continent seeking a better life overseas.

    Robert Yates, a health expert at the British think tank Chatham House, said 11 million teachers and medics was a challenging goal but not unfeasible, as shown by the rapid development of some Asian countries, such as Thailand and China.

    The UN agency added that this required a strong political will to boost public spending on health and education – rare in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Nigeria, which currently accounts for 20 percent of all Africa’s births, for example spends only 0.9 per cent of its GDP on public health, one of the lowest rates in the world.

    Exceptions in recent decades included South Africa, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

     

     

    Reuters/NAN