World Teachers Day: Group commends teachers in North-East

Plan International Nigeria, an NGO, has commended teachers and volunteer teachers in conflict region of North-East for their sacrifices in ensuring that children in the affected areas are educated.
Plan’s Country Director, Dr Hussaini Abdu, made the commendation in a statement to mark 2018 World Teachers Day in Abuja.
Plan International Nigeria is an independent development and humanitarian NGO with its headquarters in Canada. It advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
Abdu explained that there was need to salute the courage and sacrifices teachers and volunteer teachers in conflict affected areas, especially in the North East of the country made in the education sector in those areas.
He said that teachers in that region had been instrumental in provision of education for the children affected by the conflict in the areas.
The country director said that issues affecting Nigeria’s education system and availability of qualified teachers in the country must be addressed by government at all levels.
He stated that the right to education could not be separated from the availability of qualified teachers.
He observed that this had been admitted by President Muhammadu Buhari, who attributed Nigeria having 13.2 million children out of school and high illiteracy level to infrastructural deficit and decay, unqualified teachers, and inadequate instructional materials in the country.
According to him, the implication of lack of relevant and competent teachers is aptly captured in the theme of the 2018 International Teachers’ Day; “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher”.
Abdu urged governments at all levels to “prioritise improvement in teachers’ education, better investment in in-service training of existing teachers, creation of relevant incentives for teachers and further recruitment of qualified teachers”.
He noted that governments needed to improve on incentives for teachers and the teaching profession given the importance of education in building and sustaining individual and society’s development.
He said: “The governments must prioritise the restoration of the dignity of the teachers who drive the impartation of knowledge in schools.”