The Federal Government has announced a special salary scale for teachers in Nigeria.
In a message at an event to mark this year’s World Teachers Day, the government approved a special incentives for teachers across the country.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that the years of service for teachers has been increased from 35 to 40 years.
In the President’s message, it was explained that, the special salary scale is for basic and secondary school teachers, while also, increasing the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65.
The President, also added, that these were parts of ongoing effort by the government to revitalized and reposition the teaching profession in the country, by introducing fundamental and far-reaching changes, saying, that a review of teachers’ development policies has revealed huge gaps in the quantity and quality of teachers at all levels of the nation’s education system.
He further added, that the implementation of the new policies, was to attract best brains into the teaching profession, and encourage teachers in delivering better services that would produce quality students, who would in turn, contribute to national development.
“Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system with particular reference to the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system.’’
To address these challenge yes and set our country on the path of industrialization where our educational system will produce the needed skills and manpower, I have approved to the following;
‘’The reintroduction of bursary award to education students in Universities and College of Education with the assurance of automatic employment upon graduation, payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students as well as granting them automatic employment after graduation is now a government policy.’’
“The Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) will now fund teaching practice in Universities and Colleges of Education, special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance.
Special teacher pension scheme to enable the teaching profession to retain its experienced talent as well as extend teachers retirement age to 65 years and teachers service years to 40, create a career path policy for the teaching profession in Nigeria and, teachers’ conversion programme and ICT training to mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school
Some of the other incentives approved by President Buhari, include; to motivate and restore the lost glory of teachers, by building low-cost houses for teachers in rural areas, sponsorship of teachers and schools awards to cover more categories with outstanding winners to be considered for National Awards and National Productivity Order of merit (NPOM).
Also included; were prompt payment of salaries and other entitlements, including consideration for first-line charge in annual budgets, timely promotion of teachers to eliminate stagnation, provision of loan facilities, free tuition and automatic admission for biological children of teachers in the respective schools to encourage and retain them in the system.
Recall that, over the years, the Nigerian teachers, amongst several things, have been agitating for increase in the retirement age, increase in salary and better welfare package.
