Stipend for education students ill-conceived, create jobs instead – NAPTAN

The National Association of Parents/Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has said the Federal government’s promise to pay stipend to education undergraduates in Nigeria is uncalled for.

The National Publicity Secretary of the  Association, Dr. Ekundayo Ademola, released a statement saying payment of the stipend is unsustainable and warned the federal government of Nigeria not to politicize education.

Dr. Ademola said that the number of students studying education in Nigeria is in multiple thousands and after graduation, there are no employment opportunities.

“We also consider payment of N75, 000 and N50,000 to students reading education in University and NCE as ill-conceived and quite uncalled for. This amount is even bigger than the minimum wage. Before coming up with this idea, is the FG aware that the number of students studying education-related courses is in multiple thousand? Also, after being paid in school, do we have job placements waiting for them? Is there a plan for several unemployed graduates and NCE holders that read education-related courses? Many Nigerians that had passed through the Npower programme and worked in schools, are now back on the streets looking for jobs. How sustainable is this payment of students? Will the state government also pay those studying education in state-owned universities and NCE? We think that the FG should allow students to pay their fees but it should in collaboration with states provide immediate employment opportunities for them.”

Read also: FG sets to give education students in public institutions stipends

He also spoke regarding the federal government’s announcement of a new salary scale for teachers, as well as the elongation of years of service for them from 60 to 65 years and calls deceitful.

“If one may ask, how many states are, in truth paying N30,000 Minimum Wage to workers? Asking the state to start paying with a special scale to teachers, when minimum wage of N30,000 is not dutifully given to them, will lead to industrial unrest.
“We demand that federal government and states should pay N30,000 minimum wage to teachers first before considering special scale for teachers.

“Elongation of service year from 60 to 65 years is also odd, in a situation the country is presently is. Many education graduates are seeking unemployment. Keeping those that are supposed to rest in service till 65 is nothing but a misplaced priority. Instead of doing that, FG and states must gear efforts towards timely payment of retirement benefits to teachers. If that is done, many of them will prefer to go on retirement even before reaching 60 years, knowing full well that their benefits would be paid.”

“We also advise the government to have a special package for teachers working in the rural areas and areas facing security challenges.”

“We also urge both Federal and state governments to allow us a critical stakeholder in the education sector to have inputs whenever educational challenges are being made,” he added.