The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the chairmanship of Hon. (Dr.) Sikirulai Ogundele has made a case for improved welfare and better work environment for teachers.

A statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary, Austin Oniyokor on Saturday in Abeokuta, the state capital, quoted Ogundele as saying the theme for the 2024 Teachers’ Day: “Valuing Teacher Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education” is apt.

The statement reads in part: “As a people, state and nation, there is no better way to show that we value teachers’ immense contributions to our advancement and growth than to collectively commit to working for improved welfare, better and safer work environment for our hard-working teachers.

“We should go beyond the rhetoric and genuinely commit to listening to our teachers and involving them in shaping educational policies and practices.”

The party recalled how the PDP-led Federal Government increased allocations to the education sector and made the welfare of teachers a priority when it was in power.

This, it said, was complemented by the establishment of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in 1999 and 2011 respectively.

“All these have contributed to the little gains that the nation has recorded in catering to the welfare of teachers and proving a better work environment,” it said.

The Ogun PDP urged policy makers and governments at all levels to put in place a framework to get teachers involved in designing policies and programmes that affect them, adding that, “no one knows where the shoe pinches, but he who wears it”.

It appealed to the private sector and all men and women of goodwill to join hands with the government and education-focused development partners to restore the lost glory of the teaching profession.