The continued marginalisation of workers in basic and post-basic education could undermine learning outcomes and national development, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has said.

The General Secretary of the union, Peters Adeyemi, said that recent education policies have prioritised the welfare of personnel in tertiary institutions, while leaving workers in primary and secondary schools, particularly non-teaching staff, to their own fate.

Adeyemi pointed to the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022, as a clear example of policy imbalance. The law extends the retirement age for teachers but excludes non-teaching staff, who play critical roles in school administration and service delivery.

According to him, the omission reflects a broader failure to recognise the integrated nature of educational institutions.
“Schools do not function on teaching alone. Non-teaching staff are central to effective learning environments and institutional stability,” he said.

The NASU scribe stressed that the impact of such neglect is most visible at the basic education level, which is the foundation of the entire education system.

NASU warned that weak support for primary and secondary schools ultimately affects the quality of tertiary education and the preparedness of graduates for national development.

Adeyemi recalled that Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution mandates the government to provide equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels, noting that although the provision is non-justiciable, it remains a guiding principle for public policy.

He added that international instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, also affirm the right to free and compulsory basic education, a goal that cannot be achieved without adequate welfare for the workers who sustain the system.

NASU argued that the selective application of welfare reforms contradicts Nigeria’s commitments under International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions on non-discrimination and equitable treatment of workers.

The union also referenced the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees the right to work under fair and satisfactory conditions.

Beyond labour rights, Adeyemi said the issue raises governance concerns, warning that policy decisions in the education sector increasingly appear driven by pressure rather than principle.

“There is a long-standing pattern where workers in tertiary institutions receive faster and more favourable policy responses, while those in basic and post-basic education remain overlooked,” he added.

Stakeholders in the education sector have consistently noted that persistent under-resourcing of basic education threatens Nigeria’s progress under Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and the broader Education 2030 Agenda, both of which emphasise inclusive and equitable education systems.

International frameworks, such as the Incheon Declaration, argue that they recognise not only teachers but also all education personnel as critical to achieving quality learning outcomes.

NASU called on federal and state governments to review existing education workforce policies to ensure fairness and sustainability.

Among its demands are the uniform domestication of the retirement-age law across states, the inclusion of non-teaching staff in welfare-related reforms, and improved funding and accountability in basic education institutions.

“Teachers alone cannot carry the burden of education delivery. A functional education system depends on the collective contribution of all workers within it,” Adeyemi said.

As debates continue over education reform and public sector welfare, stakeholders insist that addressing the concerns of basic and post-basic education workers is essential to strengthening Nigeria’s education system and meeting its constitutional and development obligations.