Today, October 5th which marks the 2020 World Teachers Day, President Buhari approved new retirement age for teachers as well as a special teacher pension scheme for teachers.
Announcing the approval, Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, stated at a ceremony to commemorate the day that President Buhari has granted approval for an increase in the number of service years for the teachers from 35 to 40.
Quoting President Buhari in a speech, he said;
“Government notes the emergency situation in our educational system with particular reference to the dearth of qualified and dedicated teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning at all levels of our educational system.
To address these challenge and set our country on the path of industrialisation where our educational system will produce the needed skills and manpower, I have approved the following:
The reintroduction of bursary award to education students in Universities and College of Education with assurance of automatic employment upon graduation, payment of stipends to Bachelor of Education students as well as granting them automatic employment after graduation is now a government policy.
The Tertiary Education Fund will now fund teaching practice in Universities and Colleges of Education, special salary scale for teachers in basic and secondary schools including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance.
Special teacher pension scheme to enable the teaching profession retain its experienced talent as well as extend teachers retirement age to 65 years and teachers service years to 40, create a career path policy for teaching profession in Nigeria and, teachers conversion programme and ICT training to mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school system.”
