The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State branch, has called on the Lagos State Government to employ more teachers to fill vacuum created by retired teachers in public schools.
The state Union Chairman, Mr Adedoyin Adesina, made the call at the celebration of 2020 World Teacher’s Day in Lagos State on Monday.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Leading in Crisis, Re-imagining The Future”.
Adesina said that the union recommended that the state government should employ new teachers on subjects basis.
He acknowledged that the government had employed some teachers in both the secondary and primary schools earlier this year but “the number is still short of expectation’’.
“Many teachers have retired this year and the vacuum has to be filled in the various subjects,’’ he said.
Adesina also spoke on the need for additional classrooms to space students and prevent the over-crowded situation.
“This is the ideal, to implement the UNESCO’s standard of one teacher to 25 learners in a classroom.
“Low-cost buildings can be built as an emergency across the state,’’ he said.
The union leader remarked that teachers were the central figures and players in educational development.
“UNESCO recommends 26 per cent budget provision for education but no federal, state or local government has ever met this recommendation.
“The resultant effect is the poor standard in education.
“Therefore, we have to re-image and re-invent this situation,’’ he said.
Adesina commended Gov. Babjide Sanwo-Olu on the proactive and pragmatic measures put in place to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“Our visionary and the highly ingenious governor had long before the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic introduced digital training and learning into our primary school education.
“We gave our utmost support for that innovative idea by encouraging our teachers, who successfully drive such the idealistic and imaginative concept.
