By Jacinta Nwachukwu
Abuja – The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has urged the three tiers of government to give adequate attention to primary and secondary education in the country.
MR Ikpe Obong, the Secretary-General of the union, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja said this would ensure improved education at the critical stage of child development
“There are schools where the headmaster and one teacher run the entire primary one to six.
“Then you empty those students into secondary schools (and) they cannot even write a letter.
“There are so many things that we have to correct (because) once the foundation is weak (and) If we don’t give adequate attention to primary education, whatever you build on it cannot stand.
“The union has suggested severally, take five primary schools in every local government area (and) make them models, leave others.
“Give enough teachers, equip them appropriately, let there be a standard policy; then you continue to increase the number (of schools) every year.
“That is the only way you will phase out the bad schools.
“Then the secondary schools take only two from each local government area and do all the necessary equipping of such schools and (apply) special admission policy for those schools.
“Those two secondary schools and five primary schools in that local government area will compete with the best private schools in that vicinity.’’
According to him, the approach should be systematic and consistent.
“The next step that you will notice is that parents will begin to withdraw their children from costly private schools back to government schools because confidence is being restored,’’ Obong said.
