Nigerian teachers end strike

2006-11-25 16:22

Lagos - Nigerian college teachers have suspended a two-month-old strike in protest at a government's plan to "privatise" the 102 government-owned "unity" schools in the country, an official statement said on Saturday.

The work stoppage which was launched in September was suspended after a meeting between teachers union leaders and government officials in Abuja on Friday which clarified government's position on the matter, it said.

The statement said there was never a plan to sell off the schools contrary to the treachers' position but that government was merely inviting the private sector to take part in the management of the schools to improve standards.

"On the issue of privatisation of unity schools, the trade union side was made to understand that the federal ministry of education's option was to have public-private partnership in administering the unity schools and not privatisation," it added.

The two sides agreed to raise a committee to work out modalities for the partnership.

- SAPA