As a result of the tortuous effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic has inflicted on private teachers, the National Association of Private Schools Teachers (NAPST) has urged the Federal Government to provide interest free loans to private school teachers in the country to enable them cushion the effect of COVID-19, with a guarantee to pay back gradually when school re-start.
NAPST is an umbrella body and mouth-piece of private school teachers in Nigeria, in a briefing in Abuja on Thursday, explained that many of the teachers are going through excruciating pains and hardship, causing them to become public beggars’, while assuring that they are to enforce all safety protocols as the teachers get prepared for school to reopen.
Akhigbe Olumhense Augustine, who is the National President of the Association, said if urgent attention is not given to the problem, skilled and experience teachers might dump the profession, which in turn have adverse effect in the quality of education in Nigeria.
He added that, NAPST appreciate the Federal Government approves single digit loans through CBN N50billion COVID-19 intervention fund, he hinted that majority of school owners will not like to access loans to pay salaries, which is the reason many teachers are still suffering hardship.
He said” But the best way to help the private school teacher is by directly paying into their accounts.”
According to Augustine, the body has a reliable database and the network to reach out to her members as soon as possible.
“We are willing to provide the collated data of our members and their account details to help make the financial support directly to them possible to save their families from starvation to death, many are dying of hunger as we speak, while many have turned beggar,” he affirmed.
Recall that Private teachers in Nigeria has since the COVID-19 Pandemic has consistently appeal to the government to come to their aid, as their salaries have not been paid by their employers for months, which had caused to suffer economic hardship.
