Edo Teachers Forced Into Menial Labour Sparks Outrage

The Edo State Government has come under fire for directing public school teachers to clear bushes, cut grass, and clean school premises ahead of resumption.

A circular issued on August 27, 2025, by the Secondary Education Board instructed principals of senior secondary schools to ensure that teachers carried out the cleaning exercise, with reports and photographic evidence to be submitted to the board. The directive was presented as part of the state government’s education reform agenda under Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The move has drawn condemnation from the Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights, which described it as an insult to the teaching profession and a violation of human rights and labour standards. The group argued that teachers are hired to teach, not to serve as gardeners or cleaners, and that forcing them into such duties amounts to degrading labour.

The coalition said the directive undermines the dignity of teachers, who play a vital role in shaping the future of the state. It demanded that proper support staff such as cleaners and gardeners be employed and adequately paid to handle school maintenance instead of transferring the responsibility to teachers.

The group also accused the government of mismanaging funds meant for school upkeep and called for transparency in how such resources are used. According to the coalition, treating teachers with contempt is harmful to the state’s future, and forcing them into menial labour cannot be regarded as education reform but rather as exploitation.

Citing Section 34(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits forced or compulsory labour, the coalition insisted the practice is unlawful. It reminded the government of earlier promises to prioritize teachers and recruit more qualified hands, noting that the latest policy runs contrary to those commitments.

The coalition warned that failure to reverse the directive would lead to peaceful protests, public campaigns, and legal action. It declared that teachers must be respected and allowed to focus solely on their core responsibility of teaching, adding that the people of Edo would resist any attempt to degrade them.