THE Delta State Local Government Joint Account Committee (JAC) has approved Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s career progression of primary school graduate teachers in the state from Grade Level 14 to Grade Level 17.
JAC, made up of local government chairmen, in a unanimous decision, approved the governor’s decision during their meeting in Asaba, attended by the Commissioner for Primary Education, Rose Ezewu, Commissioner for the Directorate Local Government Affairs, Kelly Penawou, and Chairman, Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Samuel Mariere, among other stakeholders.
Ezewu, speaking shortly after the meeting, described Oborevwori’s approval for the elevation of primary school teachers to Grade Level 17 as a major boost to the teaching profession at the state’s basic education sector, renewed the confidence of primary school teachers and demonstrated the administration’s commitment to improving their welfare.
She said the governor’s approval would also encourage more qualified professionals to seek employment in public primary schools, as teachers would no longer see their career progression end at Grade Level 14.
She commended the governor for fulfilling a long-standing aspiration of primary school teachers, saying the gesture was in line with the administration’s MORE Agenda of enhancing opportunities and improving public service delivery.
Ezewu also expressed appreciation to Penawou, officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), local government council chairmen and other stakeholders for their support in making the initiative a reality.
She stated that the promotion would significantly improve teaching and learning in public primary schools by boosting teachers’ morale and strengthening their commitment to duty, as well as address concerns that had lingered for years, while inspiring greater dedication among teachers across the state.
The commissioner, however, urged graduate teachers in primary schools to justify the confidence reposed in them by the governor through improved performance in their teaching profession, as the new career progression comes with greater responsibility, stressing that teachers must prepare their schemes of work and lesson notes diligently and ensure effective knowledge transfer to pupils, as “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
She charged teachers to avoid complacency and embrace a renewed spirit of professionalism, hoping that the enhanced motivation arising from the promotion to Grade Level 17 would translate into better learning outcomes for pupils and further strengthen the quality of primary education in Delta State.
In his remarks, Penawou commended Oborevwori for his administration’s support for local governments in the state, as ongoing reforms have significantly improved the financial capacity of councils to pay salaries promptly and execute developmental projects.
He also noted that many local government chairmen were now delivering roads, buildings and other infrastructure across their councils due to reforms introduced from the federal down to the state level, which have enhanced funding and strengthened grassroots governance.
Also speaking, Mariere said the career progression of graduate teachers in primary school was aimed at strengthening the state’s basic education sector and enhancing the quality of teaching in public primary schools.
He explained that the National Certificate in Education (NCE) had traditionally been the minimum qualification for primary school teachers noting, but that the need to improve learning outcomes made it necessary to encourage the recruitment and retention of graduate teachers, who will now enjoy career progression up to Grade Level 17, instead of the previous ceiling of Grade Level 14.
Mariere commended members of JAC for unanimously ratifying the governor’s decision, a development he described as a demonstration of their shared commitment to educational development in Delta State.
He stated that the approval will not only motivate existing graduate teachers, but also pave the way for the recruitment of more degree holders into the state’s primary school system, adding that quality basic education remains the foundation upon which the entire educational system is built.
In their separate remarks, state Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Isaiah Esiovwa, who doubles as the Chairman of Okpe Local Government; NUT state Chairman, Poubeni Dickson; and Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Joseph Otirhue, commended Oborevwori for the decision and the local government chairmen for unanimously ratifying it.
They expressed confidence that the initiative would ultimately translate into better teaching standards and improved learning outcomes for pupils in the state’s public primary schools.
