By Joseph ETTA in Calabar.
The president of Cross River State teachers council, Comrade Eyo Itam, has canvassed for better welfare for teachers in the state.
In the occasion to marked this year’s teachers day in Calabar, he also stressed the need for special allowance for teachers teaching in the most remote rural area of the state. He stated that teachers teaching in the rural areas with their meagre salary cannot support themselves with high cost of transportation, noting that in most of those areas you have to use canoe or speed boat to cross daily, for instance a place like Greek town and Bakassi area, teachers going to work pay a very exorbitant fare daily.
Comrade Itam, called on the Cross-River State government to do all in its power to revamp the education sectors – “there is so much rot and decay in the system; in some schools, you see children sit on the floor to learn, in some other area wind had removed the roof so people sit in an open air.
The situation is very deplorable as a matter of fact, in Cross River State, Education and Teachers welfare is in total neglect.
The lack of facilities and poor teachers’ welfare is the reason for the deteriorating standard of education in the state.
The NUT President opined that instead of building super high way, build people for a better future.
When Daybreak visited Bakassi L.G.A and Akpabuyo L.G.A, it is a very sorry sight, very deplorable and sad situation, children learn under the trees, damaged class room and shortage of man power – teacher Okon Ita, principal of secondary school, Ikot Ene, Akpabuyo disclosed that there is a general apathy and disenchantment against teachers, salaries are not paid. Even with the poor salary, it’s not being paid regularly, adding that no classroom, no working facilities. It’s a state of total neglect. He added.
