TheCable

The federal government has approved a special salary scale for teachers.

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, announced this in Abuja on Monday.

The approval coincided with the commemoration of the World Teachers Day, celebrated globally on October 5.

Adamu, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at an event to mark the World Teachers Day, explained that the decision was taken as part of efforts to ensure better productivity and efficient service delivery.

The years of service for teachers has also been increased from 35 to 40 years.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Teachers: Leading in Crisis, Reimagining the Future” — the event has been celebrated annually across the world since 1994.

Adamu, who emphasised the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector, also called for the cooperation of stakeholders to ensure safe return to schools.

“The future of this country will be a function of quality education delivered to our children today and this depends on the quality of our teachers, and the quality of our teachers depends on the motivation, and their motivation depends on how happy they are doing what they are doing,” he said.

“To address these challenges, my administration has approved the following for teachers and the teaching profession: That in order to attract investment in the teaching profession, the quality of the introduction of bursary award has been restored.

“There will be a special pension scheme to enable the teaching profession retain its experienced talent, as well as extend teachers’ retirement age to 65 years and the duration of teachers’ years to 40 years.”

In a statement to mark the World Teachers Day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has called for deliberate efforts to address the challenges faced by teachers across the world.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already over-extended education systems throughout the world. It is no exaggeration to say that the world is at a crossroads and, now more than ever, we must work with teachers to protect the right to education and guide it into the unfolding landscape brought about by the pandemic,” the statement read.

“The issue of teacher leadership in relation to crisis responses is not just timely, but critical in terms of the contributions teachers have made to provide remote learning, support vulnerable populations, re-open schools, and ensure that learning gaps have been mitigated.

“The discussions surrounding WTD will also address the role of teachers in building resilience and shaping the future of education and the teaching profession.”