“The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Kwara State Chapter, Alhaji Salihu Toyin in an interview session with Mus’ab Sulaimon dissected some knotty issues in respect of the sacked sunset teachers employed in the die-minutes of last administration under Governor Abdulfatahi Ahmed.”
Excerpts:
The problem with the sunset workers is not the problem of the Union, rather with their employer which is the government.
On teachers’ qualifications, a deadline was given by TRCN, any implementation in Kwara state?
Most of our teachers are complaining of the order from TRCN, only few of them are still in school to get their certificates which they would get soonest by God’s grace.
Does the same rule apply to teachers in private school?
Teachers in private school are not under NUT, so I can’t speak on it whether it is being implemented or not. We have been trying all efforts to have them join us but it is abortive, and in unionism you don’t force people to join you against their will. But the rules is binding on them that all teachers teaching in school should have a teacher license. A lot of private schools hire people which negates the principle of TRCN. If the government is sending HND, OND holders out of teaching job, it means they want process teachers to be there, talkless of private schools. Kwara state is complaint with the TRCN order. We can’t say their salary should be stopped since they have made move to acquire necessary certificates which would make them a qualified teacher.
Is the Association of Private schools in Kwara State under NUT?
They don’t key into our programs, they operate separately and we also operate independently.
What we have is the association of public school principals and headmasters who are our own members. Although the private schools have their own umbrella body.
Is there any plan by the union to intercede on behalf of the disengaged sunset workers?
The problem arising is from the employers (the government). They were employed in the last tail of the previous administration and they have been teaching. When the selection process was done, the union was not involved. But if a teacher is teaching in a public school, whether qualified or not he or she becomes an automatic member of the union.
When this government came into power, the plan was to disengaged them all, but the governor said they should be retained. But the directive of the federal government is that anybody without a teaching qualification by December, 2019 should be let go. We took it up because most of our teachers who are HND, OND holders have their PGDE certificate. When the government wanted to disengaged them all, we pleaded on their behalf and those with NCE or B.Ed were retained back to the teaching service, saying that HND, OND holders should start packing.
The union pleaded on their behalf to get them fixed into various ministries apart from the teaching service but to our surprise they went on demonstration rampage. When they for demonstration, the government gave them termination letter. So the union is on a dilemma, because we can’t beg for any one who does not have the prerequisite qualification to be a teacher. But we pleaded that they should all be fixed to other jobs where they belong since they are from kwara.
Once again, we are pleading with the government to fix them into various ministries so that the unemployment rate would not be on a high side.
The moment they all acquire their certificate, they are qualified to be a teacher and when the government is ready to employ new staff, they can apply.
We plead with the government to also look into our welfarism, as we are the builders of tomorrow future leaders as such we need to be treated with elegant care.