I read a disturbing piece in the online guardian newspapers a few days ago and teachers (currently on strike) were proposing to picket private schools to make sure their strike action is felt more by the general populace,
I find this worrisome because i know if my kids were to grow up in nija they most likely will not be going to public schools(despite their parents being products of that system up to university level).
On the other hand though, i feel the pains of the teachers because of the hardships they go through on the job and i know they are quite aware most of the kids of those in government aren't in public schools(for those in nigeria that is) and they'll only feel the strike if their wards are made to stay at home too.
So here's the dilemma,while im aware public schools are just private businesses,the children of decision makers should not escape the consequence of their parents' decisions.
and on a side note, i saw an article in the punch newspaper during the week(check backpage online punch wed/thur) saying 'honorables' in abuja get about 114,000 naira daily for lunch! This kind of news will definitely enrage the teachers more,most of whom don't earn that kind of money in 3 months.
please what do you all think about these?

Very sad . . . when will baba go-slow declare a state of emergency in the education sector?

I support picketting private schools.

Reason; I can bet my bottom dollar that non of the top civil servants, ministers, judiciary, legislator, governors or even the presidents child is in any publis school.
So the strike action does not bother them one bit. My opinion, shut down the entire education sector and cause a major stir. Thats sure to get their attention.

Esss:

I support picketting private schools.

Reason; I can bet my bottom dollar that non of the top civil servants, ministers, judiciary, legislator, governors or even the presidents child is in any publis school.
So the strike action does not bother them one bit. My opinion, shut down the entire education sector and cause a major stir. Thats sure to get their attention.

the same folks own the private schools, i dont think they will take kindly to picketing their cash cows.

davidylan:

the same folks own the private schools, i don't think they will take kindly to picketing their cash cows.

The whole idea is to get their attention and what better way to do it than to piss them off.

Well I disagree with picketing private schools - many of them are owned by people frustrated by the ineptitude of the government and populated by students of people working tooth and nail to give their kids education of a reasonable standard.

If I have paid to educate my child, of why should your agitations for better pay affect my child when I have paid my taxes and obligations to government? Deal with the issue at the appropriate quarters. I feel the teachers are doing the wrong thing by this strike anyways, the issue of teacher remuneration is a state and local government issue, not a federal one - Abuja cannot tell Lagos or Abia how much they will pay teachers.

Well., a friend of mine raised and intresting idea
he proposes that anyone about to take a government position should be made to mandatorily place his/her wards in public schools in the same vicinity, this may make them take more interest in the schools, but knowing nija, many people will suddenly become uncles instead of daddies!
on a more serious note,many school owners are just business men who are out to make a living,guess a more practical approach is for the entire NLC to ground the country hile 'baba go slow' rolls out his 1million point agenda for the educational sector.