Extend Teachers' Retirement Age To 70, NUT Chair Tells Govt.

 The chairman, Kwara state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Musa Abubakar has called for the extension of retirement age of teachers to 70 years like it was done for professors in the Nigerian universities.

Abubakar made the call in Ilorin yesterday while addressing teachers during the occasion of this year's world teachers day held at the Teachers House, Ilorin. He said, "the demand becomes imperative in view of the fact that, teachers suffer the same fate all over the world, irrespective of their operations.

"Justice demands that teachers should be bound by common destiny.

"The extension of retirement age of professors in the tertiary institutions to 70 years be extended to teacher who constitute the foundation of education i.e primary and secondary education".

Abubakar who decried the state of education in the country said that,"teachers' profession that should gather the best brain of nation to mould the character of our future leaders is seen as a stepping stone for greener pasture".

The chairman also decried the non payment of teachers' salary in the country as at when due.

According to him,"as I speak, teachers in Kwara are owed five months salary and 56 per cent(i.e 15 per cent January, 25 per cent June, 8 per cent August and 8 per cent September) and this is no doubt?, has affected the quality of education in our public schools as the working condition of the teacher is the learning condition of the child".

While calling the federal government to take over the funding of primary education, Abubakar said that, "finance of the local government is over stressed and cannot cope with the funding of primary schools"