Teachers across the country have been commended for their resilience and commitment to the teaching profession as they marked the 2013 World Teachers' Day, on Saturday, 5th October, 2013.
While speaking at a pre-event Press Briefing in Abuja Thursday 3rd October, 2013, the Supervising Minister of Education, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike said that Nigerian teachers have demonstrated commitment to the teaching profession despite several challenges over the past decades.
While acknowledging their roles in providing relevant and appropriate education, the Minister said that the World Teachers' Day is a day set aside by the declaration of UNESCO for the purpose of addressing major issues related to the teaching profession, teachers as professionals and the education sector as a veritable instrument of social growth and development. "What can we do without a teacher? Without the teacher, there is no Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer or any other professional", he emphasized.
However, the Minister noted that critical as the teaching profession is in the society, it is lowly regarded in most countries of the world, including Nigeria, saying that this ought not to be as no society can survive without teachers.
He said that it is in recognition of the critical role teachers play in the advancement of human thought and social development that the Federal Government instituted the President's Teachers' and Schools' Excellence Award to honour and appreciate deserving teachers. This is even as he expressed the hope that the awards for teachers would serve as the platform for positive change in the welfare of teachers, the teaching profession and the education sector in the country.
"We will continue to work at making the teaching profession attractive so as to encourage persons worthy of trust to take up teaching as a career."
"Investment in education is capital intensive and Government at all tiers cannot bear the burden of funding education alone. I therefore, call on Non-Governmental Organizations, Public Private Partners and other Stakeholders in the education sector to contribute meaningfully to the development of education."
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala said that the theme of this year's World Teachers' Day celebration, "A Call for Teachers", reflects the very essence and role- expectation of the teacher in the society. He said that Government would continue to evolve policies and programmes geared at enhancing the quality and competencies of Nigerian teachers at all levels and implored them to remain focused, as well as uphold at all times, the tenets of the teaching profession.
While speaking at the occasion, the Representative of the President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Onem Nelson, expressed the Union's appreciation to the Federal Ministry of Education for organizing the press briefing.
He said that this year's celebration will be low key to draw attention of Government and the public to the plight of teachers, especially at the basic level, as well as to the challenges facing the educational system, and to seek ways of addressing them.
Source: Nigeria teachers applauded as they mark World Teachers' Day. (http://fmi.gov.ng/latest/31566/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nigeria-teachers-applauded-as-they-mark-world-teachers-day)
Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria
The teachers of this country really deserve it cos they're very hardworking and diligent!