By Rukayat Adeyemi
Lagos – The Association of Childhood Education Practitioners (ACEP) has urged the Federal and State Governments to compel private school owners to join in the celebration of World Teachers’ Day.
Mr Simeon Fowowe, the chairman of ACEP, Lagos State chapter, made the plea on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
NAN reports that UNESCO had in 1994 proclaimed every Oct.5 as the World Teachers’ Day.
According to UNESCO, World Teachers’ Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding, and appreciation displayed for the vital contributions that teachers make to education and development.
Fowowe said that only few private school owners permitted their teachers to join those from the public schools to celebrate the Day.
He said that teachers from public schools in the state were at one gathering or the other to celebrate and brainstorm on how to move the sector forward.
The ACEP chairman said that private school teachers were also expected to be at such functions to celebrate with their counterparts.
“A day set aside to celebrate teachers across the world will not destroy or collapse the school system.
“Teachers deserve to celebrate and be celebrated,’’ the association chairman said.
Fowowe said that teaching was the only profession with a special day set aside for its celebration worldwide.
“Aside the May 1 Workers Day, no other profession enjoys such benefit.
“However, teachers are celebrated worldwide, and we should be proud of ourselves and our profession,’’ Fowowe said.
He said that school owners and teachers have a lot to gain from gathering together to deliberate on the way forward for the sector and Nigeria as a whole.
Fowowe, however, urged teachers to invest in themselves by attending seminars, workshop and training to improve their status.