Parents of students at the Federal Government College (FGC) Staff School, Sokoto, have criticised the N60,000 monthly salary paid to teachers, describing it as inadequate, especially for educators who have spent more than 20 years in service.

The demand was made during the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Sunday, where members resolved to seek a minimum monthly salary of N100,000 and a N30,000 lesson allowance for teachers.

The PTA Chairman, Jamilu Sidi, said better welfare for teachers would improve their performance and help sustain quality education. He warned that poor remuneration could affect teachers’ productivity and pupils’ academic performance.

He also urged the school management to consult parents before increasing school fees, stressing that transparency and stakeholder engagement should guide such decisions.

Sidi said the PTA had introduced an electronic payment system to promote transparency, organised capacity-building workshops for teachers, provided raincoats and umbrellas for teachers on duty during the rainy season, and introduced annual awards for the three best pupils in the National Common Entrance Examination.

However, he said concerns over poor teachers’ welfare, limited transparency in the school’s finances and repeated increases in school fees remained unresolved. He noted that despite engagements with the management, teachers’ salaries had only increased from N55,000 to N60,000.

A parent, Loveth Bello, urged the school to repair damaged roads and strengthen collaboration with the PTA to improve the learning environment.

Another parent, Sani Abdullahi Wamakko, described the salary as unfair, saying no teacher should earn N60,000 after more than two decades of service.

Responding, the Headteacher, Chivuzor David, thanked parents for their support and said the school had addressed its water challenges through a solar-powered borehole. He appealed to the PTA to provide a solar power system for the nursery section.

Also speaking, Chairman of the School Board, Sulaiman Ibrahim, said the resolutions of the meeting would be forwarded to the school management for consideration. (Daily Trust)