Don’t raise teachers’ retirement age, FG urged

In a bid to encourage youths to make foray into the teaching profession, federal and state governments have been urged to make it attractive by introducing a better welfare package for teachers in the country. Mr Femi Ogunbona, the President of 1985-91 set of 62-year old African Church Grammar School (Afrograms), Abeokuta, however, disagreed that […]

In a bid to encourage youths to make foray into the teaching profession, federal and state governments have been urged to make it attractive by introducing a better welfare package for teachers in the country.

Mr Femi Ogunbona, the President of 1985-91 set of 62-year old African Church Grammar School (Afrograms), Abeokuta, however, disagreed that the retirement age of teachers should be raised from 60 to 65 years as canvassed by the Nigeria Union of Teachers and other stakeholders.

Rather, Ogunbona said the government should attract youths to the profession to take over from old hands, who are retiring in droves.

Ogunbona, an engineer, spoke on Friday on the sidelines of a Prize-Giving and Spelling Bee Competition sponsored by the 1985-91 set of the school.

The House of Representatives Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, had backed increase in retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years to retain more experienced tutors in public schools.

Dogara spoke when the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) visited him in Abuja.

Similarly, the NUT had demanded that the retirement age of teachers of primary and secondary schools in the country be raised from 60 to 65 years.

Its National President, Mr Michael Olukoya, made the call at the 2017 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja on Thursday with the theme: “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers’’.

But Ogunbona said: “Rather than extend the number of service years for teachers to serve, government should make the profession more attractive and pay them appropriately.

“Teaching profession is energy-sapping. For a 65-year-old, who has taught for over 30 years and we still expect a good output at that age, I do not think so.

“If teachers are rewarded adequately, many young people would be attracted into the profession.

“Teachers earn so little compared to other professions.” (NAN)