The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Osun has advocated the establishment of Secondary School Commission to take care of the welfare of teachers in secondary schools.
The NUT Chairman, Mr Wakeel Amuda, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Amuda, who spoke on the challenges facing teachers, said that the education sector in the country was bedeviled by a lot of anomalies.
According to him, the standard of education is declining due to the challenges in the sector, including poor funding by the Federal Government.
The chairman said that the sector should be accorded preferential treatment in view of its critical role in the nation’s development.
He decried the fact most states still owed workers and teachers backlog of salaries, adding that such a situation would impact negatively on students.
He stressed that the welfare and remuneration of teachers should be given priority so that they could give their best in imparting knowledge to the students.
“What will really help again is if government can allow for the creation of Secondary School Commission to take care of the welfare of secondary school teachers.
“Just like the creation of State Universal Basic Education Board which takes care of teachers in primary schools.
“Though Osun government is building modern schools and learning infrastructure, it should also take good care of teachers’ welfare too because both are needed for conducive learning.
“If the provision of good learning infrastructure and good welfare package for teachers are given paramount attention by the government, education will improve in the country,” Amuda said.