Head teachers seek massive funding of education sector

Principals of secondary schools across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called for more funding of the education sector.

They said the increasing number of out-of-school children across the country was a fallout of inadequate funding of the sector.

National President of the Confederation of Secondary School Principals, Mohammed Musa, said this during the 65th annual conference of the National Confederation of Secondary School Principals yesterday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

Musa urged governments to demonstrate the political will to improve the nation’s education system by committing more resources into the development of the sector at all levels.

He said: “Education is capital-intensive. It is a long-time investment. And we need to have that political commitment to commit resources into education. That would be the only solution.”

Oborevwori, who was represented by an aide, Mr. Johnson Erijo, said his administration, in its first 100 days, had approved the recruitment of teachers at the local level and extended the retirement age of educators as part of policies to enhance learning in the state.

He said: “We have extended the retirement age from 60 to 65 and years of service from 35 to 40. Government has made effort as well to pay pensions and gratuity.”

Secretary of the Delta State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Dan Basime, listed some of the challenges the school system was facing.

These, the union leader said, include the gap in teacher/student ratio, examination malpractice and dilapidated structures in many public schools.

He said: “Our students don’t want to read; instead, they want to pass by all means. A conference like this is here to address that challenge.”

President of the state chapter of the Confederation of Secondary School Principals, Mrs. Ngozi Emeni, praised some teacher-friendly policies of the state government, including the establishment of a Professional Development Centre for the training of educators.