PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, approved a special salary scale for teachers in Nigeria.
The President said the approval, which coincides with the commemoration of the World Teachers Day on October 5, was to motivate teachers for greater productivity and effectiveness.
He was represented during the celebration of the 2020 World Teachers Day by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
The President also increased teachers’ number of years of service from 35 to 40 and increased retirement age from 60 to 65.
He said, “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 and set our country on the path of industrialisation 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 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 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 teaching profession in Nigeria and, teachers conversion programme and ICT training to mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school system.”
To motivate and restore the lost glory of teachers; the President also approved the building of low-cost houses for teachers in rural areas, sponsorship of teachers to at least one refresher training per annum, expansion of annual Presidential teachers and schools awards to cover more categories with outstanding winners to be considered for National Awards and National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) awards.
He also approved “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 their respective schools to encourage and retain them in the system.”
“The Minister of Education is hereby directed to ensure an accelerated implementation of these policies and measures in collaboration/liaison with States/Local Governments, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and other relevant agencies in the system to enthrone a culture of competence, discipline, dedication, increased learning outcomes and better service delivery in the education sector in Nigeria,” he said.
