- Enugu public school teachers lament poor remuneration, treatment as the World celebrates World Teachers’ Day 2024
- They accuse government of nonpayment of their entitlement like leave allowances, new minimum wage
- Enugu government promises better days for teachers, releases fund for payment of arrears of their leave allowances
It is another world teachers’ day. It is a day set aside for the celebration of teachers worldwide.
However, for the public teachers in Enugu state, theirs is a tale of sorrow, lamentation and total neglect by the state government.
According to some of them who spoke to our reporter, there is nothing to celebrate since the state government has not yet recognized their relevance in the state.
In any case, on Friday, October 4, when WITHIN NIGERIA visited some of the popular schools in the state, some of the teachers are looking dejected and anxious.
At Urban Boys Secondary School, Nsukka, one of the popular public schools, one of the teachers who spoke to our reporter under anonymity for fear of victimization explained that Enugu state teachers are the least paid workers in the state.
According to the teacher, since she was recruited since ten years ago, her salary is not up to a hundred thousand naira.
Explaining further, she said, “let me tell you one thing that will shock you. Today is October 4, 2024. No single teacher in Enugu state has received his/her September salary as I speak with you. What are we celebrating? Are we celebrating the dehumanization of teachers in Nigeria or what? Majority of us are not proud to be called teachers because we are poorly treated.”
At Model Secondary School, Nsukka, a teacher who spoke under anonymity told our reporter that the situation of teachers in the state is very much pitiable.
According to the teacher, “in Enugu state, no teacher has been paid leave allowance since 2018 or thereabout. In Enugu state, teachers are not being early. Today, no teacher has received their September 2024 salary in the state.
“So, the situation is very much annoying especially considering the fact that all these politicians passed through teachers before they became whatever they are in the society today.”
At Central school, New Haven, Enugu metropolis, a teacher in the school lamented that there is nothing to celebrate as the state government is allegedly not treating them well.
“We have not received September 2024 salary and today is already 4th of October. Again, the state government is not even talking about the new minimum wage while states like Edo and Ebonyi states are already receiving their N70,000 minimum wage.”
Lamenting further, the teacher stated “since I was employed about five years ago, I have not received leave allowance while our colleagues in ministries and parastatals get theirs every year.”
However, all efforts to get the reaction of the state commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah on the alleged plight of teachers proved abortive as his phone number was going through.
In any case a senior government official who spoke to WITHIN NIGERIA explained that the state governor , Peter Mbah, has recently approved the release of the sum of N1,912,187,753.82 for the payment of four-year accumulated leave allowances owed to teachers of public primary schools in the state.
According to the official “the approval was in fulfillment of Governor Mbah’s promise to ensure that teachers get all their entitlements in line with his administration’s determination to enhance teachers’ welfare and boost productivity.”
Asked when the payment will commence, the government stated that “modalities are being put in place for the payment especially as the state just finished verification of its school staff.”
The official further narrated that “ the 260 smart green school policy thrust of the current administration to give the children of the state a quality head start could only succeed if the teachers were well motivated to give their best.”
World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching personnel in higher education. World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated since 1994.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that it is a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally.
World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and Education International (EI).
The theme for World Teacher’s Day 2024 is “Empowering Educators: Strengthening Resilience, Building Sustainability.”