Goodnews: Jubilation As Gov. Takes Surprising Move, Lists New Retirement Age Condition For Teachers
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has emphasized the strict enforcement of specific guidelines which must be adhered to by teachers wishing to benefit from the newly instituted retirement policy. This policy, unique to the state’ s public school system, extends the retirement age to 65 years or caps the length of service at 40 years. The directive was made official through a circular released by the state’ s Head of Service, Mr. Ayanleye Aina, in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
This circular outlines that teachers interested in availing themselves of this extended service period are required to comply with a set of predefined conditions. Key among these is the necessity for teachers to be recognized as part of the educational cadre as defined in the service scheme. Additionally, registration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria is mandatory, alongside the requirement for a clean bill of health certified by a recognized medical practitioner. The guidelines further stipulate that any teacher seeking this extension must not currently be undergoing any form of disciplinary action.
Moreover, the process for applying for this extension is detailed within the guidelines. Specifically, it mandates that an application must be submitted six months prior to a teacher reaching either the age of 60 years or completing 35 years of service, depending on which comes first. This application must receive the endorsement of the applicant’ s Head Teacher or Principal and should be directed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education among other specified procedures.
An important caveat noted in the circular is that the extension period granted under these new retirement conditions does not count towards pensionable service. This implies that while teachers can extend their service period, the additional years will not influence the calculation of their pension benefits.
To ensure compliance with these guidelines, the circular also instructs the Ministry of Finance and the State Universal Basic Education Board to cease the payment of salaries to any teacher who has reached the new retirement age but has not met the outlined conditions. This move underscores the state government’ s commitment to a regulated and disciplined implementation of the policy, ensuring that only those who meet the strict criteria benefit from the extended service years.
This policy adjustment comes as a significant development within the educational sector of Osun State, aiming to retain experienced teaching professionals within the system for a longer period. However, the stipulated conditions also ensure that this extension is granted judiciously, preserving the quality of education by ensuring only those fit and properly registered are eligible.
The implementation of such a policy highlights the state’ s proactive approach to enhancing educational standards and addressing the needs of its teaching workforce, setting a precedent that could potentially inspire similar adjustments in other states or sectors.
