Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for increased and sustained investment in teachers and school infrastructure, warning that Nigeria cannot guarantee quality education without strengthening the people and institutions responsible for delivering it.
The commission stressed that access to education must go beyond getting children into classrooms, noting that the quality of teaching, availability of learning facilities and conditions in which students are taught are critical to achieving meaningful educational outcomes.
The NHRC’s position was contained in a World Teachers’ Day message issued by the commission’s Executive Secretary, Chief Tony Ojukwu.
The message underscored the importance of adequately trained and motivated teachers, functional classrooms, learning materials, water and sanitation facilities, electricity and safe learning environments.
According to the commission, inadequate infrastructure and other barriers continue to undermine the right to education, particularly for children and other vulnerable groups.
It therefore urged governments at all levels and relevant stakeholders to make education a sustained priority by providing the resources required to improve teaching and learning.
The commission also emphasised the need to invest in teachers through appropriate training, professional development and improved working conditions.
Teachers, it noted, remain central to the success of any education system, making their welfare and professional capacity essential components of education reform.
The NHRC further called for greater attention to children who face difficulties accessing quality education, stressing that every child should have the opportunity to learn in a safe, inclusive and conducive environment.
Education, the commission maintained, is not only a fundamental right but also a critical foundation for human capital development, economic growth and national progress.
Stakeholders have consequently been urged to strengthen collaboration and accountability in the education sector while ensuring that resources allocated to schools translate into tangible improvements in teaching and learning.
The commission’s call comes amid continuing concerns over infrastructure deficits, teacher shortages and other challenges confronting Nigeria’s education system.
For the NHRC, addressing these challenges requires more than policies and programmes. It requires sustained investment in the teachers who educate the nation’s children and the schools in which that education takes place.
Without quality teachers and functional schools, the goal of quality education for every Nigerian child will remain difficult to achieve.