Private school teachers in Nigeria lament poor salaries

 

Teachers in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria have expressed worries over their poor salaries and despicable conditions of service.

The teachers, who lamented that they were experiencing great difficulties in meeting up with their domestic obligations, stressed that the new minimum wage of N70,000 may not be realistic in a number of private schools in the country.

Mrs. Memuna Ibrahim, a teacher in the Lube area of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) disclosed that salaries in private schools were very ridiculous,''most of these schools pay below N25,000''

However, Ejembi Ada, a teacher in a private school in Akwanag in Nasarawa state, maintains that most private schools don't issue letters of appointment and conditions of service, these schools treat teachers like casual workers.''

Interestingly, Matthew Audu, a teacher in a private secondary school in Lokoja, Kogi state, noted that the poor treatment of teachers in private schools has negatively affected the performance of pupils and students in internal and external examinations.

October 5, annually, is set aside to commemorate international teachers' day.

Teachers in Nigeria, however, insist that they have every cause to celebrate the gift of life, despite the prohibitive prices of foodstuffs, transportation, other goods and services which have gone beyond the reach of millions of disillusioned Nigerians.