The approval of a new special salary scale for teachers across Nigeria was today announced by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
This approval was given as part of the incentives given by the Federal Government to teachers in Nigeria to mark this year’s World Teachers Day, today, October 5, 2020.
This disclosure was made by Malam Adamu Adamu, the Hon. Minister of Education, who represented the President at the occasion.
The President also announced the increase of the approved years of service for teachers from 35 to 40 years and their retirement age from 60 to 65. The Nigerian teachers over the years have been agitating for amongst several other things increase in their retirement age, increase in salary and better welfare packages.
The President, in his speech to mark this year’s teachers day, explained that the approval of the new teachers’ salary scheme was to incentivice the teachers to deliver better services outputs.
He expressed that these developments were part of ongoing reforms by his government to revitalize and reposition the teaching profession in Nigeria.
The minister said that the new reforms in policies were to incentivice the best hands into the noble teaching profession, and encourage existing teachers to deliver better and more efficient services that would birth quality students who would, in turn, contribute to national building.
Quoting him:
Malam Adamu Adamu said, “ The Federal Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system with particular reference to the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system.’’
“To address these challenge yes and set our country on the path of industrialization where our educational system will produce the needed skills and manpower, I have approved to the following;
‘’The reintroduction of bursary award to education students in Universities and College of Education with the assurance of automatic employment upon graduation, payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students as well as granting them automatic employment after graduation is now a government policy.’’
“The Tertiary Education Fund (TETFUND) will now fund teaching practice in Universities and Colleges of Education, special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance
“Special teacher pension scheme to enable the teaching profession to retain its experienced talent as well as extend teachers retirement age to 65 years and teachers service years to 40, create a career path policy for the teaching profession in Nigeria and, teachers’ conversion programme and ICT training to mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school system.”
Some of the other incentives approved by President Buhari, to motivate and restore the lost glory of Teachers include the building of low-cost houses for teachers in rural areas, sponsorship of teachers to at least one refresher training per annum, expansion of annual Presidential teachers and schools awards to cover more categories with outstanding winners to be considered for National Awards and National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) awards.
Others were prompt payment of salaries and other entitlements including consideration for the first-line charge in annual budgets, timely promotion of teachers to eliminate stagnation, provision of loan facilities, free tuition and automatic admission for biological children of teachers in their respective schools to encourage and retain them in the system.
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