FG to review roles of PTA in unity schools

The Federal Government is set to review the roles of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in Unity schools across the country to check lapses and create boundaries of duties.

Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwuka, disclosed this at the commissioning of a two storey 1,200 bed space hostel for girls and teachers at the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC) Yaba, Lagos which was built by the Parents Teachers Association of the school.

Anwuka bemoaned attempt by the PTA’s of Unity schools in the country to take over the control and running of the schools, adding that such was unacceptable to the government.

He added that the ministry was preparing a memorandum that would guide the roles of PTA’s in the schools, adding that the Federal Government owns, funds and would continue to manage unity schools across the country.

He said: “It has come to our notice that the PTA’s want to take over the ownership and management of the unity schools and that is unacceptable. The Federal Ministry of Education owns and runs the unity schools and certainly not any unionist outfit.

“We are looking at the relationship and we are streamlining so that everyone would know the limit of their roles. That would be done within the framework of our ministry; we are working on the memorandum and we expect that to guide our relationship,”Anwuka added.

The minister stressed that the ministry was committed to the regularisation of the appointment and welfare of thousands of part-time teachers in Unity schools, but however added that only the professionally qualified would be considered.

“We are committed to the improvement of the welfare of the staff but those teachers that were employed by the PTA would be given appointment when the time comes, but they should embark on teacher training. We are trying to clean the teaching profession of unqualified and unregistered teachers, it is only those that are qualified that should be talking of welfare,” Anwuka said.

He noted that the present administration placed emphasis on science education and skill acquisition, adding that the education syllabus has been engineered towards achieving that.

“The present thinking of the government is to re-engineer our education towards technological level. The concern of Nigerians is to place emphasis on science and skill education and this would remain the focal point of this administration”.