The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kebbi State Chapter, has commended the Kebbi State Government for its interventions in the primary education sector, particularly the introduction of digital tools to support teaching and learning.
The State Chairman of the union, Mr. Zaki Sarki, stated this on Wednesday at a press conference in Birnin Kebbi, where he reviewed developments in the state’s basic education sector.
Sarki said the provision of digital devices to schools and pupils had provided additional resources for teaching and learning and represented an important step towards the integration of technology into primary education.
He said Android phones had been provided to head teachers in all 2,014 primary schools across the state, while more than 4,000 tablets had also been distributed to pupils.
The NUT chairman also acknowledged the provision of school furniture valued at N7.2 billion, saying the intervention had helped improve the learning environment in primary schools.
On teachers’ welfare, Sarki said the administration of Governor Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris had addressed some longstanding issues affecting primary school teachers, including salary disparities between primary and secondary school teachers.
He explained that the state government established a committee to examine the disparity, determine the actual number of professional teachers and identify issues affecting the salary structure. Sarki said he was a member of the committee.
“Immediately after we submitted our report, a White Paper was released to that effect, normalising the discrepancies between secondary and primary school teachers,” he said.
Sarki noted that concerns had been raised by some teachers who did not receive salary adjustments, explaining that professional qualifications and compliance with attendance requirements were among the issues that could affect eligibility.
“According to the rules of the teaching profession, for you to qualify as a teacher, you must have a minimum qualification of National Certificate in Education (NCE),” he said.
He added that teachers with non-teaching qualifications or those who failed to regularly report to their duty posts could fall into categories that were not covered by the adjustments.
The NUT chairman disclosed that 17,620 teachers across the state benefited from the salary increment.
He also acknowledged the implementation of a N75,000 minimum wage by the state government, noting that the figure was above the N70,000 national minimum wage.
Sarki further commended the government’s investment in primary school furniture, reiterating that the N7.2 billion intervention would contribute to improving conditions for teaching and learning.
He said the union appreciated the state government’s efforts to address issues affecting primary school teachers and strengthen basic education across Kebbi State.
