The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has expressed concerns over the Federal Government's plan to hand over the management of King's College, Lagos, to a private association. NUT's National President, Audu Amba, stated that this move is a departure from the principle of public education and an unacceptable form of privatization. The proposed concession arrangement would transfer the management and operational responsibility of the 116-year-old college to the King's College Old Boys' Association under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
Amba raised his concerns at the opening of the 59th National Conference of Delegates held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu. He emphasized that education is a public responsibility and a fundamental right, not a commercial privilege. The union strongly opposes the transfer of management and operational responsibility of King's College to a private association. Amba called for the immediate suspension and reversal of the concession arrangement and meaningful consultation with critical stakeholders, including teachers and parents.
The NUT president listed several challenges confronting Nigeria's education sector, including poor remuneration and welfare of teachers, shortage of teachers, decaying infrastructure, inadequate instructional materials, underfunding, insecurity, and attacks on schools. He also noted that the digital divide and poor implementation of education policies are significant concerns. Amba lamented that the Federal Government's budgetary allocations to education have remained far below the internationally recommended benchmarks of at least 15 to 20 percent.
Amba appealed to the Federal Government to work with state governments to ensure the implementation of approved incentives and welfare packages for teachers. These incentives include a special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools, reintroduction of bursary awards to education students, and a special teachers' pension scheme. The NUT president also urged the government to provide loan facilities for agriculture, housing, cars, and motorcycles, as well as free tuition and automatic admission for the biological children of teachers.
On the implementation of the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Act (2022), Amba expressed dismay that some states, including the Federal Capital Territory, were introducing extraneous guidelines in contravention of the law. The Act provides for retirement at 60 years of age or after 40 years of service, whichever comes first. Amba also decried the "divide-and-rule" tactics deployed by some state governments in recognizing a purported "Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools" (ASUSS).
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, who declared the conference open, stated that his administration has prioritized education, allocating over 33 percent of the state's total budget to the sector. He disclosed that the recruitment of 6,850 teachers and other education personnel was an important expression of his administration's commitment to education. Mbah also highlighted the establishment of fully equipped and technology-driven Smart Green Schools across the state's 260 wards.
The conference, themed "Deployment of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Will Erode the Place of Teachers in the Classroom: Myth or Reality?", brought together delegates from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The NUT chairman, Enugu State Wing, Theophilus Odo, described the conference as a forum for reflection, strategizing, and re-energizing the collective commitment to the teaching profession.
Key points
- NUT opposes privatization of King's College, Lagos.
- Nigeria's education sector faces challenges including poor funding, infrastructure, and teacher welfare.
- Conference theme explores the role of technology and AI in education.
