By Jacinta Nwachukwu
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has stressed the need for the government to adequately fund the country’s educational system for effective service delivery.
The union trained about 100 state union chairmen and secretaries in capacity building to prepare and equip them to advance the implementation of the global response project themed “Go Public! Fund Education” at different levels.
Speaking at the training workshop on Thursday in Abuja, the National President of NUT, Comrade Audu Amba, said the government should invest in education and the teaching profession.
Amba noted that teachers’ wellbeing was central to the realisation of the right to quality education for all.
He also highlighted the shortage of teachers in public primary schools and the proliferation of private schools due to underfunding of public education.
Amba emphasised that the “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign was a global call for adequate funding of education and the teaching profession to ensure provision of quality public education for all.
He lamented that budgetary allocations to education had remained below internationally recommended benchmarks, leaving public education dysfunctional.
“The participants will take the advocacy to their respective states and local government areas, with a follow-up launch of the campaign during the 2024 World Teachers’ Day celebration on 5 October.”
Amba stressed that government must invest in education and the teaching profession to protect and fulfill the right to education.
Dr Dennis Sinyolo, Regional Director, Education International Africa Region Office, Ghana, noted that Nigeria had the highest number of out-of-school children, highlighting the need to prioritise education funding.
He emphasised the importance of teachers’ wellbeing and their involvement in decision-making.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, commended the resource persons and said the government was working on a standard reviewed curriculum for secondary schools and increasing teachers’ capacity in modern technology.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by NUT in partnership with Education International and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.(NAN)