6th October, 2017
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged government at all levels to improve the welfare of teachers in order to boost their morale as moulders of the future.
The NANS National Public Relations Officer, Mr Bestman Okereafor, made the appeal in a statement in Enugu on Friday to commemorate the World Teacher’s Day.
Okereafor said that NANS had harped on the need for all stakeholders to prioritise the basic challenges facing the teaching profession in Nigeria.
He said that there was urgent need for the nation to produce quality, highly skilled and motivated teachers and ensure their consistent remuneration.
According to him, this would ensure the transmission of qualitative and quantitative academic and moral knowledge to Nigerian students.
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“NANS is, however, sad at the level of education in Nigeria, the neglect and nonchalant attitude of the constituted authorities to the welfare of Nigeria teachers, especially at the primary and secondary school levels.
“Especially considering the pressure, stress, energy, commitment, over populated schools and classes with few teachers, among other things they consistently face on daily basis, just to mould the leaders of today and tomorrow,’’ he said.
The spokesman said that NANS was passionately calling on UNESCO to reflect on the status of Nigerian teachers and the conditions under which they operate and how much wage or salary their take home every month.
“NANS is imploring our dear Nigerian teachers to remain committed, steadfast, passionate, energetic and be role models to the students in the discharge of their obligation,’’ he said.
According to him, teachers should bear in mind that after darkness there comes a victorious dawn,’’ he added.