Teachers in Federal Capital Territory public schools have resumed academic activities after suspending their strike over delayed promotions, vacant positions and redeployment of senior officers.
They told NAN in Abuja on Wednesday that academic activities had resumed, with teachers delivering lessons to students.
Shuaibu Usman, Head Teacher, LEA Primary School Garki Area 10, said the grievances that prompted the industrial action were not primarily financial, but concerned career progression and the redeployment of experienced educational administrators.
Usman said the unresolved issues included the suspension of the 2025 promotion exercise, lack of vacancies for promotion and redeployment of senior officers to classrooms.
He said the redeployment policy had raised concerns among affected officers, particularly directors and principals who were returned to classroom duties despite their experience in educational administration.
”Our grievance with the government is not a monetary aspect. We are talking of vacancies, that there is no promotion because there is no vacancy,” he said.
The head teacher also identified the non-conclusion of the 2025 promotion exercise as one of the reasons for the strike.
On redeployment, Usman said some experienced officers who had served in administrative and quality assurance positions were being returned to classrooms.
He questioned the rationale behind returning directors and principals to classroom duties, arguing that their experience could be better utilised in mentoring younger teachers and strengthening the educational system.
”I think that is the most painful aspect of this. Somebody that has worked and the government said we need your effort more to groom those coming, you are telling that person to go back to the class,” he said.
Usman appealed to the Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to examine the redeployment policy and address concerns surrounding the placement of experienced educational administrators.
The head teacher said the strike had been suspended rather than called off, adding that the resumption followed a government circular directing schools to recommence academic activities.
”According to the circular, we suspended the strike. We didn’t call off. We have resumed based on the suspension,” he said.
On pupils’ attendance, Usman said a considerable number had returned to school, attributing the turnout partly to communication between teachers and parents through an established platform.
He explained that parents were informed whenever schools were scheduled to resume, enabling them to prepare their children for the continuation of academic activities.
Also speaking, the principal of Government Secondary School, Garki, Malam Sadeeq Ochiji, confirmed that academic activities had resumed, with teachers delivering lessons to students.
The principal said teachers and students had returned to school in compliance with the directive to resume academic activities.
”We have resumed. The students are in their classes, and the teachers are teaching them, the principal said.
Ochiji added that the school resumed on Wednesday, noting that principal officers had been reporting to duty.