Theme: The Impact of Ethics and Attitudinal Change in Leadership
The National President,
Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS),
Distinguished Leaders of ASUSS,
Highly Esteemed Secondary School Teachers,
Great Nigerian Teachers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the *Private School Tutors Union of Nigeria – PRISCTUN*, and on behalf of over 2 million private school teachers who open the gates of knowledge every morning with empty pockets but full hearts, I bring you solidarity greetings on this historic World Teachers Day 2026 – 60 Years after the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation.
I congratulate ASUSS for choosing a very timely and surgical theme: *"The Impact of Ethics and Attitudinal Change in Leadership."*
This theme is the root of our problem as a nation.
Comrades, a school cannot rise above its Principal. A Union cannot rise above its Leaders. A Nation cannot rise above its Leadership Ethics.
For too long in Nigeria, we have changed leaders without changing attitudes. We have changed titles without changing character. We have built fine policies on a faulty foundation of poor ethics.
What is the result?
- When ethics collapses in leadership, a private school owner who collects N200,000 school fees per child will pay the teacher who taught that child N20,000 and call it "salary".
- When ethics collapses, we pay teachers for 9 months and starve them for 3 months during holiday, and call it "holiday".
- When ethics collapses, we have teachers without pension, without NHIS, without gratuity, after 30 years of service.
That is why your theme is powerful.
Ethical Leadership means:
1. Integrity – Doing what you say you will do for teachers.
2. Accountability* – How can a leader demand punctuality from teachers when he himself is not accountable for their salaries?
3. Empathy – Some are rich in money, others are rich in mercy. A leader must be rich in mercy.
Attitudinal Change means moving from:
- "Teachers are beggars" to "Teachers are nation builders"
- "Manage them" to "Motivate them"
- "Use and dump" to "Train and retain"
ASUSS and PRISCTUN are blood brothers. You teach in public secondary schools, we teach in private schools, but we suffer the same holiday hunger, the same lack of dignity, the same struggle for recognition.
This World Teachers Day, let this gathering at CANDELLUX Hotel resolve:
Let us demand Ethical Leadership that pays living wage, not starvation wage.
Let us demand Leadership that gives 12 months salary, not 9 months.
Let us demand leadership that recognizes Unions for collective bargaining.
I pledge the full solidarity of PRISCTUN to ASUSS. Together, let us restore ethics to our schools, and let us restore dignity to the Nigerian Teacher.
Happy World Teachers Day 2026!
PRISCTUN! Together we excel
ASUSS! For the dignity of teachers!
Yours in Comradely Service,
Dr. Tunde FOLARIN
National President,
Private School Tutors Union of Nigeria (PRISCTUN)
Abuja.