By Patrick Titus, Uyo
Over 1000 teachers are to be employed in Akwa Ibom state to address the dearth of teachers in public schools across the state, the state’s Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Elsie Peters has announced.
She made the announcement on Wednesday when the leadership of the state’s wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), led by its state Chairman, Comrade Edet Okon Abang Emenyi, paid her a courtesy visit in Uyo.
Mrs. Peters said that besides the recruitment of 1000 teachers for public primary schools which the state government had earlier given approval for, more would be employed to fill existing vacancies.
The HCS explained that the decision was a deliberate commitment of the state government towards addressing manpower shortages in public schools and creating more conducive environment for teaching and learning.
She further announced that teaching personnel currently serving in Local Education Committees (LECs) and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) would be redeployed to classrooms to strengthen teaching capacity in public primary schools.
On the implementation of the enhanced retirement policy for teachers, Mrs. Peters directed the union to submit the names of teachers who were retired before benefiting from the approved retirement threshold of 40 years of pensionable service or 65 years of age, whichever comes first, assuring that the matter would be reviewed and appropriate corrective action taken.
The Head of Civil Service also disclosed that she would convene a meeting with the Permanent Secretaries of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) to address concerns over teachers, including spouses of politically exposed persons, who allegedly refuse official transfers or fail to report for classroom duties.
Responding to concerns over the placement of teachers on grade levels, Mrs. Peters explained that the placement was guided by the approved salary structure and incremental progression, assuring that any genuine anomalies would receive due attention.
She condemned the increasing cases of teachers being harassed and assaulted by students, describing the development as unacceptable. She called for practical suggestions to curb the menace and advised teachers to exercise caution in handling recalcitrant students while maintaining discipline in schools.
Responding to the union’s request for the renovation of its state secretariat and the donation of an official bus, Mrs. Peters urged the leadership to formally present the requests in writing for onward forwarding to the governor, Pastor Umo Eno for consideration.
She commended the union for maintaining a cordial relationship with the state government and urged members to remain united, avoid being incited into actions capable of disrupting industrial harmony, and continue to support government policies aimed at strengthening the education sector.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Edet Emenyi, congratulated Mrs. Elsie Peters on her elevation as the Head of the Civil Service, Akwa Ibom State, and wished her a successful and impactful tenure in office.
Emenyi described teachers as the bedrock of national development and indispensable partners in shaping the future of the society.
He decried the shortage of teachers in public schools, noting that increasing enrolment had created an urgent need for more qualified teachers, stressing that primary school teachers should be allowed to teach subjects within their areas of specialization rather than being compelled to handle all subjects in the curriculum.
Comrade Emenyi also appealed to the State Government to reverse the retirement and salary stoppage of teachers affected before the implementation of the new retirement policy to enable them benefit from the approved retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first.
He further requested for the renovation of the NUT state secretariat, the donation of an official bus to the union and the correction of perceived anomalies in the placement of some teachers on grade levels.
The NUT chairman expressed concern over the increasing cases of teachers being molested in schools and recommended the deployment of security personnel, construction of perimeter fences around schools and the establishment of additional schools to decongest overcrowded ones, noting that such incidents were more prevalent in densely populated schools.
He also advocated admission into such schools through entrance examinations to reduce congestion and improve security.
While drawing attention to the issue of some teachers, particularly spouses of politically exposed persons, who allegedly refused official transfers or failed to report for classroom duties, Comrade Emenyi appealed for stricter monitoring and enforcement to ensure that all teachers discharge their responsibilities diligently.
