A rights group, Edo State Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights, has strongly condemned the alleged practice of compelling public school teachers in Edo State to cut grass and perform menial labour at the directive of the Ministry of Education.

 

In a statement issued on Monday, September 1, 2025, in Benin City, and signed by its Coordinator General, Marxist Kola Edokpayi, and Secretary General, Comrade Aghatise Raphael, the coalition described the development as “disgraceful, demeaning, and unconstitutional.”

 

The group insisted that teachers were not employed as gardeners, cleaners, or janitors, stressing that forcing them into such duties was a blatant violation of human rights and labour ethics.

 

“Teachers are the backbone of society and nation-builders entrusted with shaping the minds of our children. Reducing them to gardeners and cleaners is a shameful act of abuse and a slap in the face of every hardworking educator in Edo State,” the statement read.

 

The coalition threatened mass protests and legal action if the government fails to stop what it called “educational slavery.” It argued that the state should instead employ support staff, cleaners, and gardeners, who would be adequately paid to handle maintenance work.

 

The group further cited Section 34 (1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits forced or compulsory labour, warning that the action of the Ministry stands in direct breach of this constitutional safeguard.

 

Quoting Governor Monday Okpebholo’s earlier promise to prioritise teachers, the coalition reminded the government of its duty:

 

“The sacred work of a teacher is to teach, not to clear bushes. Forcing them otherwise is against the law and will not be tolerated. An injury to one teacher is an injury to all.”

 

Reacting, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, denied knowledge of any official directive compelling teachers to perform menial jobs.

 

In a statement titled “To Stakeholders in the Education Ecosystem: RE: Edo Civil Society Raises Concern Over Teachers in Some Schools Being Asked to Do Menial Maintenance Jobs,” Iyamu said the information available suggested that such activities might have been voluntary Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives by some teachers.

 

He assured that a full-scale investigation had been ordered to unravel the truth and correct any abnormality.

 

 

“Teachers’ priority is transfer of learning, so we want to discourage in very strong terms teachers forcibly engaging in or being used to engage in tasks that do not directly correlate with strengthening knowledge and learning outcomes,” the commissioner said.

 

Iyamu added that the Okpebholo administration remains committed to improving teachers’ welfare, citing recent increments in minimum wage, the regularisation of casual teachers, the building of teachers’ quarters in some schools, and ongoing training programmes.

 

While the rights group has vowed to resist what it calls “a return to the dark past of forced labour,” the government maintains that it values teachers and will address any lapses uncovered by its investigation. The coming days will determine whether the controversy ends in dialogue or escalates into mass protests across the state.