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AS Nigerian teachers
join their counterparts all over the world to celebrate the World
Teachers’ Day, stakeholders in the teaching profession have lamented the
precarious state of Nigerian teachers in the comity of teachers
globally. The 2016 World Teachers’ Day with the theme -‘Valuing
Teachers, Improving their Status’ was described by teachers as most apt
for the Nigerian where our teachers deserved to be celebrated for being
the pivot of socio-economic development.
Nigerian teachers who spoke to Vanguard decried their poor teaching
conditions, stressing that teachers are not so treated with disdain
globally. According to them, whereas the Nigerian teachers are still
using blackboards and chalks for teaching in the 21st century, their
counterparts in other countries are using whiteboards and markers,
noting that many countries of the world have even gone beyond the use of
whiteboard to interactive classroom system, coupled with teaching aids.
While teachers in many countries of the world are well remunerated, they
maintained that teachers in Nigeria were not only poorly paid, but many
were being owed several months of unpaid salaries.
Teacher
Teacher
Overloaded classrooms
Comparing teachers in Nigeria to their counterparts globally, they
described in Nigeria working conditions as appalling, adding that the
average Nigerian teachers, apart from few private schools, were working
under poor conditions of service. According to Vanguard investigations,
many teachers, especially in public schools are compelled to work in
overloaded classrooms of 80 to 100 pupils without electricity, and
comfortable office chairs and tables.
They argued that the manner in which the federal and state governments
handled teachers makes the society to hold teachers and the teaching
profession in low esteem. “How many teachers in Nigeria are computer
literate and what is the government doing to upgrade teachers’ knowledge
in computer literacy,” they quarried.
Making allusion to what a typical teacher and the teaching profession
were like in those days, stakeholders noted that in the good old days,
teachers were highly regarded in the society as they exerted great
influence and authority on the people and were subsequently ranked
second in command after the traditional chiefs. “That informed the
reason many teachers in those days were given free accommodation and
scholarships for further studies,” they said.
They pointed out that in those days, a student would rather prefer his
mother beats him when he commits an offence at home, than she reported
him to his class teacher, the punishment and the shame at the assembly
ground could be better imagined. The question begging for an answer is:
Where did we begin to get it wrong and how did our teachers suddenly
lose their prestige?
In his reaction, the Provost of Michael Otedola Primary College of
Education (MOCPED), Professor Olu Akeusola, said that the day we
abrogated Grade II teachers colleges in Nigeria was the time we killed
teachers education and subsequently education. Akeusola who maintained
that the standard of education was not falling, but the quality,
explained that what was instrumental to a very good foundation in the
past, was our being able to develop teacher education.
He noted that if teacher education was developed, it would create a
methodology of passing the information to the younger generation adding,
“unfortunately, we have destroyed that solid pillar foundation of
teacher education. Teachers can only be what the society or government
wants them to be. In those days, teachers were highly respected and
compensated. Since the colonial teachers brought education, we were able
to discover the purpose of education. But now, we cannot maintain the
purpose. In those days, teachers were second in command to the colonial
masters because they taught teachers to become interpreters in palaces.
“What we had in the past was a very good and solid teacher education.
That was the time we were having Grade III, Grade II, Grade I and the
like. By then, these teachers that were more co-ordinated with
methodology were able to use their knowledge to teach the pupils. The
students that were well trained at the primary and secondary levels now
went to the university.
Any student who does not have a good primary and secondary foundation
cannot be lectured at all in the university. Let us bring back Grade II
as senior secondary school education so that anybody that finishes will
either go to college of education or university. We must train our
teachers right away from secondary school level. If not, we will keep on
going backward.”
On the way forward, he said: “Government should spend 25% of our budget
on education. Education is that sector that will develop every other
sector. If education is messed up, the entire sectors of the economy
will be messed up. If education is developed, it will develop economy,
technology and every other thing. The federal government should see to
the development of education in Nigeria.’’
On his part, former Executive Secretary, National Universities
Commission, Professor Peter Okebukola, said that if we assert that
teachers make up the fulcrum of the education lever, the conclusion is
that the story of Nigeria’s development over the last 56 years is
largely the story of its teachers.
According to him, if we take quality teachers out of our development
equation, Nigeria will be in the backwaters of nations in the world.
“Here we are today, boasting of being the second largest economy in
Africa and among the leading countries in the region on many development
indicators. To all Nigerian teachers past and present, we should say
“all hail”, the teachers, he said.
Sadly, he observed that our teachers were hardly valued, stressing that
in more than half of the states of the federation, teachers were being
owed salaries running to several months. He said: “So, they will mark
the 2016 World Teachers’ Day on empty stomachs unable to pay school fees
of their children as schools resume; and unable to wear decent clothes
and live in homes with minimal comfort.
He, however, urged government in Nigeria at all levels to pay more
attention to the plight of teachers in terms of improving their welfare.
At the federal level, he pointed out that the Buhari administration is
doing its best in the circumstance, adding that State governments are
most guilty in terms of not giving teachers their due.
Status of teachers
His words: “Improving the status of teachers is beyond money. It
includes building their capacities to ensure they deliver better quality
education. Today, almost half of the teachers in Nigeria have severe
quality deficiencies. Government at all levels must take steps to
improve the quality of teachers through better pre-service and
in-service training.
Agencies concerned with registration of teachers and regulating their
training should evolve more vibrant methodologies for delivering on
their mandate. Here we are looking at Teachers Registration Council of
Nigeria (TRCN), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board
for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of
Education (NCCE).
Many of our teachers are sub-standard and we need to tighten quality
assurance. We need to tool teachers better in a fast-evolving ICT world
to enable them take full advantage of ICT to deliver the curriculum. We
need to better resource our schools so that Nigerian teachers will have
more clement environment with which to work.
Mr. Goke Gbadebo, a teacher at New Christfield College, Ikorodu said
that he is proud being a teacher adding that whenever he imparts
knowledge to students, he feels fulfilled. He, however, frowned at the
attitude of the government and the society, lamenting that teachers were
not treated with the respect they deserve. ‘’Government and the society
must place value on the teachers, commend and celebrate them. Teachers
should be well remunerated and made happy because if they are not happy,
they will not be able to give their best.’’
Challenge of recession
For Mr. Paul Oguchi, a teacher at Dampress Schools, Lagos, salaries of
teachers should be reviewed so as to meet up with the challenge of
recession in the country. He said though he was not happy being a
teacher, he was, however, glad that he was imparting knowledge.
On her part, Mrs. Yetunde Oresanya, a teacher at Okota Junior High
School, Lagos applauded Governor Ambode for prompt payment of teachers’
salaries in the State.
She said: “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is trying for us. On 22nd of every
month our salaries are paid, making us to be happy. For me, if it is
possible, Ambode should continue till the next 12 years because of the
prompt payment of our salaries.” Oresanya, however urged the government
to replace retired teachers with new ones for better productivity.
Asked, how many students in her class, she said, 40.
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/world-teachersday-nigerian-teacher-globally/
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/10/world-teachersday-nigerian-teacher-globally/
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