80% Teachers In Unity Schools Employed By PTA Arrangement

Principals of the 104 federal government colleges across the country have revealed that 80 per cent of their teaching staff were on the payroll of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) arrangement.The principals stated this during the budget defence of their respective school before the House of Representatives committee on Tertiary Education on Monday in Abuja.Some of the affected teachers according to the principals were disengaged following directive of the Ministry of Education, which bared all colleges from charging above N5000 per term as PTA levy.Chairman of the Southwest Unity School Principals, Dr. (Mrs.) Liman Amodu who spoke on behalf of other principals noted that schools had to obey directive by the ministry, but at the expense of qualitative education for the students.This is the situation in most of the schools, there may be a little exemption, but thus is the general problem. In most cases, about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the teaching staff are on the payroll of the PTA, but we try to comply because we cannot violate directive from the ministers, she said.She explained that employment of teachers are effected by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) and the Ministry of Education.Chairman of the committee Hon. Zakari Muhammed who condemned the unfortunate situation also decried poor funding for feeding of the students.The committee observed funds were usually not disbursed to the school for feeding until about 3months in arrears.This according to Zakari puts the schools at the mercy of contracts at the same time create avenue to compromise standards.Except they want to be economical with the truth, no principal here recieve funding for feeding in advance, the students are at the mercy of the contractors and most times the contractors compromise standards, he said.Zakari however direct principals compile the lists of unfenced unity schools for prompt and immediate action by the government.
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