School Resumption: Teachers Turn Pupils Back Home In Plateau, Due To Unpaid Salaries

By Banabas Aminu

As the schools resume nationwide in line with the Federal Government’s directive, primary school teachers in Plateau State on Monday said they would not return to the classrooms on empty stomachs.

When our correspondent visited the Township Primary school in Jos North LGA around 8:30 am on Monday, some of the teachers who showed up were heard asking the pupils who had reported for school to go back home.

At St Luke’s primary school in Jos North LGA, the school gate was under lock and keys as neither the teachers nor the pupils were around.

The situation was the same in several primary schools visited in Jos South LGA and other council areas of the state.

One of the teachers at St Peter’s Primary school Bukuru, Jos South LGA, who spoke with our Correspondent said they decided to stay at home because they did not have money to pay for their transport to and from school.

The teacher who declined to give his name blamed the situation on what he said was the state government’s refusal to pay them their salaries as well as implement the N30,000 minimum wage

He said, “Since November, we have not been paid any salary. Even the N30,000 minimum has not been paid to us. Where do you want the teachers to get money to transport themselves to school and teach the children?

“That’s why many of us decided to stay at home and a few that reported to school only came to inform the pupils to go back home until the government resolves the issues.”

However, Secondary schools in the state have resumed.