The National Union of Teachers (NUT0 President Nasir Idris has thrown his weight behind the proposed new salary structure for teachers in the country.
According to Idris, a new salary structure for teachers will help them perform better. He said Nigerian teachers had been demoralized because of the poor condition of service as many of them had abandoned the profession because of frustration.
The NUT president advocates a body that would harmonize the payment of salaries for teachers.
Idris, who addressed reporters at the weekend in Abuja, decried the poor treatment meted out to primary school teachers in the country and called for the removal of teachers from local governments.
‘’There are some states that have not implemented the minimum wage for teachers. But on the other hand, they have implemented for State workers.
‘’That’s why I said the teaching profession is not attractive in this country. It’s because of the barrier, especially the primary school teachers being termed as second-class workers in this country. It’s because, in some States, you will see that they will pay secondary teachers their salaries or their minimum wage, but in primary schools, they will not pay.
‘’This is coupled with the problems on the ground. That’s why we are advocating and supporting, at the constitutional review; that let them remove teachers from the local governments. Let them create a body, just like I mentioned, like the Universal Basic Education Board(UBEB) here.
During the military era, we had what we called National Primary Education Commission(NPEC)’’.
(Nation)