Hunger In The Midst Of Plenty :Delta’s University Graduate Teachers Abandoned In Primary Schools.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has earned well-deserved praise for his transformative social welfare initiatives ; healthcare improvements, infrastructure, and programmes that uplift the vulnerable. He has also been lauded for openly disclosing Delta’s financial solvency, demonstrating that progressive governance rests not just on vision, but on fiscal responsibility. and discipline.
Oborevwori administration shows that decisive leadership, backed by transparent financial management, can change lives.
Yet, amidst these achievements, a glaring inconsistency persists: the neglect of University graduate teachers in primary schools..
Many are university graduates, shaping the minds of tomorrow’s leaders, yet they remain trapped in stagnation under SUBEB and local government structures inherited from the Babangida-Aikhomo National Policy on Education(NPE), which set Teachers’ Grade II (TCII) as the minimum qualification for primary school teachers while allowing professional upgrades through NCE
. That benchmark has long been surpassed, but the system refuses to evolve.
The inequity is stark: a senior civil servant in SUBEB, who rose through the NCE route, now enjoys consolidated grade level 17, while his classmates teaching in primary schools remain on grade level 14. Meanwhile, those same classmates at local government level are already on grade level 17.
This is not a question of qualifications or experience, .it is the product of arbitrary discretion. Laws are meant to guide, not to be selectively applied.The only thing constant in life is change. Policies must adapt, systems must modernise, and those who mold the future must be honoured.
Why are these teachers still sidelined while other welfare groups enjoy recognition and support?With APC, now in both Abuja and Asaba, party differences cannot explain this neglect, there is simply no ideological excuse.For Governor Oborevwori, who is lauded for his progressive governance and fiscal transparency, it is time to act.
Grant these teachers the designation and dignity they deserve. Respect for those shaping Delta’s future is not optional ; it is a moral imperative.
Posterity will appreciate those who finally recognise and properly designate the university graduate teachers in Delta’s primary schools.
