Buhari okays 65-year retirement age for teachers, says Minister

The Minister of Education , Mallam Adamu Adamu , on Thursday said that President Muhammadu Buhari was in support of increasing the retirement age for teachers from 60 to 65 years .
According to the News Agency of Nigeria , Adamu made this known during a public hearing on the need to insulate teachers from the retirement age for public servants organised by the House of Reps Joint Committee on Basic Education and Public Service .

Adamu informed the committee that the Nigerian Union of Teachers had submitted the new retirement age proposal to the ministry and the National Assembly for approval .

He said that the drive was based on the need for a better performance by teachers and the desire to have quality teachers in Nigeria ’ s primary and secondary schools .

“ Nigerian teachers to some extent require a reasonable retirement age like their counterparts in India , Canada , Belgium that have increased the retirement age for teachers to 65 years .

“ We are appealing to the House to approve the bill because the ministry is in support of increasing the retirement age of teachers , ” he said .

Earlier , the Chairman House Committee on Basic Education , Rep Zakari Mohammed , said that the bill was being considered for passage .

He said the bill sought to absolve teachers from the public service rule , which fixed the retirement age for government workers at 60 years , and set for them a new retirement age of 65 .

Mohammed said that since teachers were the bedrock of any nation , their wealth of experience must be tapped into to enhance the well – being of the Nigerian society .

He also said that House was considering an amendment of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Act to strengthen its regulatory powers to promote professionalism and eradicate quacks .

Also , the Deputy Chairman , House Committee on Public Service , Rep . Adekoya Abdel – Majid , described teachers as professionals who laid the foundation for any nation ’ s economic , technological and social development .

Abdel -Majid said that if teachers were given more time to spend on the job , they would most likely deliver better services to the learners based on experiences gathered over the years and the wisdom of age .

The stakeholders present at the hearing organised to support the passage of the bills were the Parent Teachers Association , Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria , Nigerian Teachers Institute and the Universal Basic Education Commission.

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