Today marks yet another remarkable day in the history of the teaching profession as the international community celebrates teachers across the globe. As we already know, 5th October was set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994 to recognize, honour and appreciate the pivotal role teachers play in advancing education and transforming humanity and society. Nigeria joined the global celebration of World Teachers’ Day in 1996, and we are grateful to God for the opportunity to mark this 28th edition of the annual celebration.
Let me first and foremost thank State Governors who keep faith with this historic event by supporting and participating in the celebration, as well as honouring outstanding teachers with Awards and Prizes in their respective states. I also wish to appreciate the Commissioners for Education, other government functionaries and Stakeholders who contribute to the successful observance of this World Teachers’ Day.
The year’s celebration with the theme: “Valuing Teacher voices: Towards a new social contract for Education” highlights the important role teachers play in shaping the future of education and society, and the need to value their knowledge, voice and participation in decision-making in education. Education around the globe is in crisis; the rapidly changing world is faced with numerous emerging challenges such as climate change, technological expansion and digital divide, demographic changes, armed conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics and other emergencies. These developments have impacted the education landscape, leading to inequalities and crises of equity and relevance. This situation underscores the need for a social contract which must be built on principles that assure the right to quality education throughout life, and strengthen education as a public endeavor and a public good (UNESCO, 2021).
The new challenges and new trends in education have placed a greater burden on teachers and expanded their roles. Essentially, teachers are required to build their capacities to help learners acquire new knowledge, skills, values and competencies they need to shape their lives, and to be relevant and useful players in today’s knowledge society.
This year’s World Teachers’ Day, therefore, emphasizes the need to address the systematic challenges faced by teachers, to strengthen social dialogue, and to incorporate teachers’ perspectives into educational policy and decision-making process. Teachers, indeed, need a greater voice in decision-making; they need more supportive environments and better working conditions to ensure effective education delivery, and to meet the needs of society and the demands of the 21st century.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) recently launched the Go Public! Fund Education Campaign, a global call spearheaded by Education International (EI) for adequate funding of education and the teaching profession. The launch became necessary considering the fact that poor funding and inadequate investment in education constitute a major barrier to effective implementation of educational policies and programmes in Nigeria. This year’s World Teachers’ Day provides us another opportunity to launch the Go Public! Fund Education campaign at the state level with a view to amplifying and deepening our call on all tiers of government to invest adequately in education and the teaching profession to ensure provision of quality public education for all.
It would be recalled that the age-long demand of the NUT for upward review of teachers’ retirement age was addressed when Former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Harmonized Retirement Age for Teachers Bill which provides for retirement of teachers on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of service. We are pleased to note that 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have so far implemented the new retirement age for their teachers. I wish to use this opportunity to call on the remaining 13 States to implement the new retirement age for their teachers without further delay, as this will not only provide the school system the opportunity to benefit further from the services of these experienced teachers but will also help to address the manpower needs in our school system.
In conclusion, let me commend you, our great educators, for your courage, sacrifice, perseverance, resilience and commitment to your well-chosen career, even in the face of daunting challenges and odds against you in your day to day works. I congratulate you on your well-deserved recognition and celebration this day, and charge you to keep the flag flying as the torch-bearers, pathfinders, character moulders, change agents and nation builders. To all guests, friends and well-wishers, I say thanks for your participation, and may God bless you all.
Happy Celebration!
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