NUT makes case for quality public education, says no to privatization

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on governments and stakeholders in the sector to stand up for quality public education.

NUT made the call in a communique issued  on Thursday at the end of a global response workshop on Privatisation and Commercialisation held in Ibadan.

The union stated that stakeholders should shun privatisation and commercialisation of education that tended to undermine the right of Nigerian children to quality education.

In his address at the event, NUT President, Dr Nasir Idris, represented by the union’s First Vice President, Mr Kayode Akosile, alluded to the saying that education for all was the responsibility of all.

He noted that the workshop was aimed at expanding the Global Response to Privatisation and Commercialisation of education project to the Western Zone; ‘EDOLOOKOE Bloc’ comprising Edo, Delta, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Oyo and Ekiti States.

“It is our hope that we will be more sensitised and better prepared to support the advocacy for greater investment in quality public education for the benefit of the mass of Nigerian children and the sustainable development of our dear nation,” he said.

According to the communique, NUT demands that the government at all levels should not abdicate their responsibility to regulate, monitor and revalidate the operations of private providers based on set standards and human rights principles.

“Government should be alive to its obligation to guarantee the right to education by providing free, inclusive, equitable quality education for the benefit of the nation’s children and citizenry.

“International Financing Institutions and Development partners should review their education financing policies in favour of public education, rather than funding profit making private ventures.

“Government should invest more in education by allocating the internationally recommended benchmarks of six per cent of Gross Domestic Product and 20 per cent of the national budget to education.

“This can be achieved if government adopts progressive and efficient tax collection processes to generate resources.

“This is a choice we must make; it is a duty we owe our children and the future of our nation,” the union said.

Also, the Regional Leader of NUT (WEST), Mr Victor Amok,  appreciated the efforts of Education International and Fredrich Ebert Stiftung for their support in the struggle to make education affordable and accessible to Nigerian children and youths.

“In spite of all the achievements of the Union and government of Southwest in improving education and developing the youth to fit in into their positions in the society, I regret to say that significant percentage of our youths of school age are out of school.

“Funny enough, higher percentage are attending mushroom, unregistered, substandard private schools.

“These pose a challenge to everybody in education sector. If SDG4 has to be achieved in 2030,” Amoko said.

He, however, enjoined all stakeholders in the education sector to critically examine the challenge above, with a view to finding lasting solutions and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in our society.

In his remarks, the Registrar of Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Prof. Segun Ajiboye, appreciated the union for having the interests of Nigerians at heart and not just fighting for the welfare of its members.

“We cannot price education above the reach of the poor, as this will be a disservice. The bedrock of all the challenges we are having today is lack of education.

“When people get the right education, there is going to be a turning around even in the security situation of the country.

“Democracy does not work in any place where the majority of the people lack the proper education, ” Ajiboye said.

In his goodwill message, the President, National Parents’ Teachers Association of Nigeria, Mr Haruna Danjuma said there was the need to improve learning conditions in Nigerian schools.

He said the insecurity situation in the Nigerian schools across the country called for a concerted efforts to ensure security was restored.

Present at the event were, Mrs Abimbola Odeleye, the representative of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Oyo State House of Assembly Chairman on Education, Hon. Olufemi Oluwafowokanmi and representatives of commissioners of education in the Southwest region.