Treat the teachers better
IF the future of Nigeria would be secured, it must begin with sound education and taking the teaching profession most seriously. Therefore, the nation must treat teachers with respect, pay them well and make the profession attractive to the best brains. With the cornerstone, which teachers are, so ill-formed and treated as is the case now, what hope is there for the house of education built on it?
The recent lamentation by the Ondo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), over the shortage of teachers in the state’s public schools underscores the pathetic state of the teaching profession generally. Teachers in the primary and secondary schools have been maltreated and traumatized, and the teaching profession made unattractive, with the consequence of mass exodus of potential teachers into other professions.
On the occasion of this year’s 2015 World Teachers’ Day, the teachers decried the poor staffing of primary, secondary and technical colleges across the country. A primary school was reported to have only one teacher who attends to the educational needs of pupils from primary one to six. This, of course, is absolutely dangerous for foundational education.
What can the children learn from one single teacher handling every class in a whole school? It has also been said that “over five hundred teachers have been retiring from the primary schools on a yearly basis without replacement,” a situation which has led to the exodus of children from public to private schools, especially, in the rural areas.
Certainly, investment in education, especially in teachers’ welfare is an investment in the development of Nigeria. Indeed, the complete decline in values in Nigeria today has been exacerbated by the neglect of teachers. Leaders at all levels should do something urgent about this, because teachers play a most important role in the formation and development and success of man.
A lot has been said about the appalling state of education in the country. From primary through secondary to the tertiary level, there is absolutely no real commitment at any level in the country to improving quality of the education. And because teachers constitute a critical component, with the quality of education depending on the quality of teachers, it is a disgrace that things are allowed to go so bad. The Nigerian system is not teachers-friendly. Teachers suffer poor pay and poor working conditions. In most states, teachers are the last to be paid at the end of the month, if they are paid at all. Many states owe teachers several months of unpaid salaries and allowances while the retired ones do not receive their entitlements as and when due. Teaching has been rendered unattractive and only the last resort where other options fail.
If Nigeria is to make progress, teachers and their profession must be accorded dignity in every respect, including qualification and remuneration. Unfortunately, it seems that people who place little premium on knowledge are the ones planning for education curriculum, personnel and more.
It may be recalled that there was a time in this country when certain practices, such as writing lesson notes that gave teaching its professional edge was mandatory on teachers. Today, hardly do teachers enter the classroom to teach with well-prepared and supervised lesson notes any more. Most people are indeed in teaching just for the pay and for want of better things to do. Even those trained as teachers have abandoned the profession for more lucrative jobs.
In countries that truly seek development, the best brains are assigned to teaching and are rewarded adequately. The truth is that nothing will improve education in Nigeria if teachers’ training and welfare are not improved and practitioners accorded a pride of place. Nigeria must create a new professional paradigm for teachers. Their remuneration and welfare must be improved significantly in order to attract the most qualified. Education should indeed be made the core programme of government at all levels for that is the future of Nigeria, the foundation for the nation’s development and progress.
It bears repeating that quality education is the rock on which a modern nation can build its future. The cornerstone of this foundation is, incontrovertibly, the teachers. And it is trite to add that the products of Nigeria’s schools will be only as good as their teachers. So, Nigeria has no alternative but to treat her teachers right.
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1 Comments
The importance of teachers can’t be overemphasize,if we must grow economically in this nation,our teachers welfare must be utmost priority,must be well paid,learning facilities must be made available with conducive environment,and retraining of teachers is an essential business to government and the private bodies
We will review and take appropriate action.