ABUJA – The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Friday urged the Federal Government to implement the policies of education as stipulated by National Policy on Education. Mr Ikpe Obong, the General-Secretary of the Union made the call in Abuja at a news conference. He said that the implementation of the policies was the only way Nigeria could achieve the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on education for all. “The National Council on Education, which is the highest policy making body in education in Nigeria does not have the power to see through its own recommendation or decisions taken. “When we take decisions on how to move education forward, when it comes to implementation, the Federal Government will turn around and say we can only appeal. “This means that all the decisions we take will not be valid because of government bottlenecks,’’ Obong said. He said that the non implementation of most of the policy statements on education were among the hindrances of education in the country. Other hindrances of education pointed out by Obong included the confusion in the constitution on whose responsibility it was between the local and state government to manage primary education. “The constitution only says that local government shall only participate and the Supreme Court judgment of 2002 interpreted it clearly that the responsibility rests with the state. “Why this has become a problem is that, while the local government will wants to recruit teachers, there will also be the challenge of availability of resources to pay salaries. “This means that the students will suffer because they do not have teachers to teach them. “This however forms part of the reasons why they lumped together 100 students in a class for one teacher to teach. “We believe that this problem will be almost solved, if government will understand that primary education management is the responsibility of the state and not local government. “However, the local governments have the right to participate,’’ he added. Obong identified poor budgeting system, recruitment of non-professionals, and relegation of teaching profession to the back door as among other factors hindering the attainment of education MDGs. He said that the recruitment of non-professionals had succeeded in demoralising teachers or intending teachers in the country from going to teach. He flayed the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for reducing the cut-off marks of intending teachers who sat for its examinations. He said that the step meant that the profession was not for the “best brains’’. According to Obong, “entry qualifications in JAMB should be higher if you want our future leaders to be properly brought up.’’ (NAN)
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