Taraba Teachers Decry Unpaid Six-Month Salaries, Other Challenges

Some primary school teachers in Taraba State have expressed frustration over the government’s poor treatment, citing the non-payment of five months’ salary arrears and inadequate school facilities.

According to the teachers, the government’s free education policy has not been effective and has further worsened conditions in schools while also negatively impacting teachers’ welfare, as promises made by the government remain unfulfilled.

In June 2023, the government declared a state of emergency in the education sector. While the policy has successfully reduced tuition fees in tertiary institutions and eliminated school fees for primary and secondary students, concerns have grown over the government’s commitment to fully implementing the policy, particularly at the basic education level.

Investigations revealed that nearly two years after the policy was introduced, most primary schools in Jalingo, the state capital, have seen little to no improvement.

Additionally, while secondary and tertiary education have witnessed some stability, the situation in the basic education sector remains dire.

A teacher from Central Primary School Wukari, located in the southern Taraba senatorial district (which is also the governor’s hometown), who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “Teachers are leaving for other professions because of poor welfare. We are lagging behind. We cannot cater for our families any longer. We have become bankrupt and poor. We don’t save. That has affected our children. Some have been withdrawn from schools. They are not as regular at school as before. There is a lack of seriousness already.”

She explained that the government’s failure to provide free uniforms, equipment, and other promised items has left schools struggling, as the organizations previously assisting in these areas have stopped stepping in.

She further noted, “In terms of infrastructure, the PTA used to supplement, but the government has taken over but has failed in that respect. The facilities have remained bad, and once you ask the parents to fix them, they would object and say it is ‘free education’.”

“In my school, the student uniforms are not being provided as promised. Parents, again, are waiting for the government to fulfill their promise of free uniforms. You see a child coming to school without a complete uniform or wearing a mufti.”

“Pupils come to school anytime they feel like. They no longer do their crafts. They say it is free education. The parents refuse to buy school materials for their children on the excuse that it is free education. The schools now are disorganised.”

Another teacher from the same school, who also requested anonymity due to fear of victimization, added, “For a teacher, before you go to work, you have to eat well. You have to transport yourself. The cost of transportation has become a problem.”