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President Goodluck
Jonathan has promised to push for legislation that will upgrade the
current status of primary education and protect the teaching profession.

He made the promise
yesterday in response to requests from a delegation of the Nigeria Union
of Teachers (NUT) who paid him a courtesy call at the State House,
Abuja.

The meeting is part
of the president’s series of consultations with various interest groups
across the country ahead of next month’s general elections.

Mr Jonathan, who
described himself as a member of NUT and the Science Teachers
Association of Nigeria (STAN), said laws are made for good governance
and his administration will ensure that the laws of the land protect the
educational system in order to ensure that the system produces quality
pupils and students.

“As a nation, we
must work together. I always say that no one owns the nation. Laws are
made for good governance, and that is why we have a National Assembly.
We just changed the constitution because of the elections; so, if we
have to amend the constitution to protect the teaching profession to
ensure that we produce pupils and students that will have qualitative
education, there is nothing wrong.” Mr Jonathan also promised to speed
up action on the establishment of the National Secondary Education
Commission in order to support the Universal Basic Education Commission
which caters for pre-primary, primary and adult and non formal
education.

“We are studying
final proposal and we will set up a commission for Secondary Schools, in
order to lay a solid foundation for tertiary education in the country,”
he said.

Living wage wanted

The National
President of NUT, Michael Olukoya, appealed to Mr Jonathan to push for
legislation that will give teachers a professional national wage
structure and reflect the status, profession and societal relevance of
teachers in the country.

“Nigerian teachers are among the worst paid professionals not only in Africa but in the entire world,” he said.

“ A critical
problem which has for years defied solution is the status of primary
education, which today, stands out as an orphan which no one wants to
own up to. Whereas the federal government says it has no role to play in
that sector, except through intervention fund under the Universal Basic
Education Act, the state governments claim that primary education is
the responsibility of the local government.” He further commended the
President for the Presidential Summit on Education held in October 2010
and the establishment of the Presidential Task Force on Education and
promised to support him to realise his political ambition.

The Education
minister, Aisha Ruqqayatu, Labour minister Emeka Nwogu, minister of
state for Education, Kenneth Gbagi, minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze,
Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe and Information minister, Labaran Maku
were in attendance.