Academic activities suffer as teachers boycott classrooms in Edo

Pupils of Igbesamwan Primary School in Benin City, Edo State, playing in the field while anticipating resumption of academic activities by striking teachers.

Public primary school teachers in Edo State on Monday defied the state government’s directive to reopen schools across the state owing to the strike embarked on by the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

The Edo State wing of the NUT commenced an indefinite strike a fortnight ago following the state government’s inability to meet their demands.

Ever since, the union and the state government have been embroiled in dispute while the former took a firm stand to go ahead with the strike as negotiations between both parties continue.

The government threatened to invoke the ‘no work no pay rule’ if the teachers continue with the indefinite strike action meant to cripple resumption of second term academic activities slated for February 1 (today).

When our reporter monitored the level of compliance in some of the primary schools in Benin metropolis, it was observed that the teachers failed to appear for resumption – apparently in support of the strike.

A visit to Asoro primary school, Uwa primary school, Igbesamwan primary school, Agbado primary school and Emokpae model primary school in Edo South senatorial district showed that some persons purportedly deployed from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were at school to monitor resumption.

At Agbado, Emokpae and Igbesamwan, few students were seen seated in classrooms waiting for their teachers while others loitered around the school premises.

But in Asoro and Uwa primary schools, the gates were locked and no pupil was seen within the vicinity.