WTD 2020: FG to honour deserving teachers with excellence award
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the world teachers day, the federal government has revealed its plans to award the best teacher across the 774 local government area in the country.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja on activities lined up to commemorate the day in Nigeria, the minister of state for education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba said the federal government in recognition of teachers contribution to national growth and development has instituted the president’s teachers and schools excellence award as part of the celebration.
The minister disclosed that the instruement for the nomination of potential awardees was sent to all state ministries of education and the Federal Capital Territory but only 24 states out of the 36 states responded with submissions for the award categories.
According to him, there is an existing template for assessment of teachers performance.
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He however did not disclose both the criteria for selection and the other states that did not submit the nominations for the award.
Daily Times reports that each category has three levels that accumulate to a total of 24 awards, “ 774 best teachers; one from each of the 774 local government Areas from which the best teachers were chosen would also be rewarded to ensure that the process start originates from each local government.
On his part, the national president of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nasir Idris appealed to state governments and non-state providers of education to comply strictly with the Covid -19 protocols and guidelines developed for the safe reopening of schools by the Federal Government.
Idris who was represented by the National Publicity Secretary, Idris Amba said obeying the protocols and guidelines would help safeguard the health and safety of the learners, the teachers and the school community as a whole.
“As the nation takes necessary steps to reopen schools at all levels for academic activities, we urge the federal ministry of education to ensure that both state and non-state providers of education comply strictly with the Covid -19 protocols and guidelines in order to safeguard the health and safety of the learners, the teachers and the school community as a whole,” he said.
He added that teachers need to be provided with opportunities for regular training and continuing professional development, be provided with conducive environments, be adequately equipped and “be empowered and supported to be able to meet the new trends, challenges and demands of the 21st century and to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.”
The union also appealed to the federal government for a upward review of the retirement age of teachers and education officers,” approve and implement the 27.5 per cent professional allowance for teachers of unity schools.”
The union also asked for the establishment of Teachers’ Salary Structure (TSS) and other incentives for teachers to address the peculiarities of the teaching career and to uphold the true identity and status of the profession.
They also asked the government to establish a National Secondary Education Commission for proper coordination and effective management of secondary education in the country.
The World Teachers Day is commemorated October 5 every year to celebrate the teaching profession world-wide.
The theme of this year’s edition “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future”further highlights the importance of teachers in nation building,their leadership roles in emergency situation and the need for nations of the world to rekindle the interest of young people to take up the profession by sustaining the services of the extant professionals.
