NUT rejects September 2nd resumption date in Edo
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Council has directed its members not to resume for the first term of 2019/2020 academic session on September 2nd, 2019.
It said the resumption date for schools in the state was September 9 as approved by the state Ministry of Education.
The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) had in a circular letter from its Human Resources department dated August 20, 2019 directed teaching and non-teaching staff in public schools across the state to resume school on Monday September 2nd, 2019.
The circular signed by Director, Human Resources and Management, Mrs Ehigiamusor I.Lydia, on behalf of Chairman of the board, Mrs Joan Oviawe explained by what teachers should resume one week earlier.
According to the letter: “I am directed to inform teachers of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board across the 18 LGEAs that school resumes for the 1st term 2019/2020 academic session on Monday, the 9th of September, 2019.
“The Board wishes to return to the usual practice of teaching/non-teaching staff resuming a week earlier than the pupils. This practice the Board has considered very necessary to enable teachers put all arrangement in place for effective take off of teaching/learning process immediately, upon resumption.
“In the light of the foregoing, teaching and non-teaching staff in our schools across the 18 LGEA are therefore to resume school on Monday, 2nd of September, 2019.”
But the NUT in a statement by Assistant General Secretary, Mr. Moni Mike Itua, directed its members to disregard the letter by SUBEB directing them to resume on September 2, 2019,
Itua urged the Board not to constitute itself into a “parallel Ministry of Education” as well as usurping the functions of the ministry by ordering a different resumption for primary school teachers in the state.
According to him: “In continuation of your board’s insensitivity to the human dignity and plight of our primary school teachers, the attention of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Wing, has been drawn to your circular letter–SUBEB/A/7VOL.IIT/90 of 20th August, 2019, wherein you directed teachers to resume for the 2019/2020 first term academic session on the 9th of September, 2019 on one hand and in a twist, further directed the same teachers to also resume a week earlier than the pupils ( that is, on the 2nd of September, 2019) to enable them put all arrangements in place for effective take-off of teaching/learning process.
“Arising from the above directives by your board, the state wing Executive Council of NUT want to inform you that public primary school heads and their teachers are not the ones to clean up classrooms or cut grasses in their school compounds, but shall only act as supervisors to the pupils in executing such assignments on their resumption, if your board lacks the capacity to provide or employ cleaners and gardeners in the schools.
“Your board’s unending shenanigans and arm-twisting of our teachers which are now dovetailing into full scale tramping on their rights should stop henceforth.”
Last week, the NUT rejected competency test for teachers, demanded the release of the approved N60 million per term subvention to schools, payment of EDO BEST stipends of 2018 and 2019 to teachers and recruitment of teaching personnel into public primary and secondary schools in the state.
