EMPLOYMENT: 22 States Have Not Recruited Teachers In 10 Years — NUT

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) have revealed that twenty-two states have not recruited teachers for primary or secondary schools in the last five to ten years.

NUT National President, Muhammed Idris revealed this in a statement issued on Monday.

According to Mr. Idris, some states last recruited primary and secondary school teachers in 2002.

Idris said that while Taraba, Niger, Adamawa, Ondo, Ogun and Delta states last held teachers recruitments in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2010, teacher recruitment has not taken place for over five years in Benue (2008), for primary and secondary; Nasarawa (2010), primary school; Bayelsa (2012); Ebonyi (2012); Rivers (2013), primary and secondary and Oyo (2014).

Meanwhile, the last recruitment of teachers for primary and secondary schools in Kogi was in 2011.

He said: “We teachers have so many problems. We always tell government to address these problems so that Nigerian teachers will be happy. But, honestly, our teachers are not happy. That is why we insist on the extension of years of service for Nigerian teachers.

“In most states, our classrooms are almost empty. About 22 states have not recruited teachers for four to five years and teachers are retiring by the day. That is our main concern.

“You will go to classrooms and you will see almost 70 pupils inside without a teacher. Most of the states are running away from the cost of employing teachers.

“The remaining teachers on the ground are manning the schools. One teacher will attend three classes in a day. You will go to class five, four to do your work.”

The NUT president also lamented infrastructural decay affecting almost all the state, saying that it imparts negatively on the quality of education dished out to the students.

He continued: “There is also the challenge of infrastructural decay in most of our schools. Our teachers teach under the shades.

“There are no classrooms; even in places where there are classrooms, there are no tables and chairs. How do you expect them to improve their productivity?

“Our teachers are ready to teach but the government is demoralising us. Majority of state governments are demoralising us as far as this profession is concerned.

“That is why we said let them address these issues and recruit more teachers to manage these schools.”

Idris said the union was not happy with this development and that classrooms in most states were almost empty.

He also noted that the inability of some states to recruit teachers creates additional workload for the few on the ground, create overcrowded classrooms and lead to poor academic performance among the pupils.