The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has expressed concern about the lack of appropriate staff in public primary schools nationwide.
Audu Amba, the National President of NUT, stated this at the 2024 World Teachers’ Day Celebration on Saturday in Abuja, adding that one or two teachers barely manage some primary schools.
The subject of this year’s World Teachers Day is “Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education.”
According to Amba, the staffing shortage has left students in educational poverty with a grim future.
He noted that the condition in junior and senior secondary schools, particularly in rural areas, is worrisome.
“In Nigeria, UBEC (2024) survey indicates that there is a shortage of 194,876 teachers in public primary schools across the country,” he said.
He voiced dissatisfaction with the failure to implement various welfare packages for teachers offered by former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2020 World Teachers’ Day.
He urged federal and state governments to fully implement the approved incentives in order to boost teacher morale while they carry out their professional duties.
While applauding teachers on their courage and sacrifice in the face of adversity, Amba urged them to continue to uphold the ideals of the profession.
Dr Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Education, congratulated teachers on their tedious work and assured them of the government’s support for teacher empowerment and technological skills training.
Sununu acknowledged the challenges that teachers face and pledged the ministry’s readiness to overcome them.