From Femi Oyelola
October 5 of every year has been designated as World Teachers Day by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) as a day to celebrate teachers and the invaluable service they offer worldwide.
The 2023 celebration came with a theme”The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse the Teacher Shortage”.
The role of teachers in any society cannot be overemphasized. Education is a two-way interaction between the teachers and their students or pupils in the knowledge exchange chain.
They provide a nurturing environment away from the home, instilling values in children and helping prepare them for the real world. However, on a day like this, we must look inward and ask ourselves what is the state of the Nigerian Teacher.
In Nigeria’s 63 years of nationhood, the narratives of poor societal perception of teacher education, lack of commitment among Education stakeholders, the problem of attrition in teaching; lack of motivation; unethical behaviour of some educational bodies, and deliberate muzzling opposition voices among teachers unions have characterized the work environment across the country
The state of education in Nigeria is abysmal, and by extension, the state of Nigerian teachers has been a source of worry for everyone.
Nigerian teachers have had to deal with hostile work environments, and the necessary infrastructures to make teaching available are still missing. In 2013, we still have teachers carrying out their daily tasks in makeshift buildings; in some situations, teachers are responsible for buying their biros, chalks, lesson notes, and diaries when none is provided by the government.
Under the current poor arrangement, some teachers are being paid by the parents through the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) when salaries are not forthcoming from the government.
Even when the salaries come, it is inadequate to pay their bills. On a day like this when other teachers across the world are celebrating, Nigerian teachers have made it a day to remind the government about the poor state of the teaching profession in the country which the government is known to make vague promises about.
The sparse numbers of Nigerians that are aware of this special day dedicated to those who imparted knowledge to all, speaks to the state of mind of teachers and the attitude of the government to the plight of teachers across the nation.
Chairman of Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT) Kaduna State Wing, Comrade Ibrahim Dalhatu, said a closer check in some of the schools in the state will surprise one as some Primary Schools have only the Headteacher who heads the school and is the only teacher who teaches all the arms.
This, according to him may sound unbelievable, but it is true in some of the schools, especially in rural areas.
He added that the influx of pupils into the public schools most especially with the introduction of the school feeding programme by the last administration and the sharp increase of school fees in most of the private schools, has forced a great number of parents to withdraw their children/wards from such schools,
Such parents, he explained registered their children/wards in public schools, thereby skyrocketing the enrolment while the number of teachers in such schools remains constant.
“These and many other factors have led to an imbalance in the pupils-teacher ratio. If we must reverse this teacher shortage, a lot needs to be done in the area of recruitment of teachers in the education sector which the NUT has been harping on for decades. It is now clear that the challenge is a global issue. “ He said
Authenticating this the President
Australia Alumni Association of Nigeria, Abiodun Okunola, said for the Education sector to move forward, there is a need for government at all levels, policymakers, and educational institutions to invest in teachers to enhance teaching skills.
He observed that educators must be well-qualified, trained, and motivated to deliver quality education. We need teachers who are not just content experts, but also skilled in the art of classroom management and knowledge impartation.
“Continuous professional development is essential for teachers to stay current with evolving teaching methods and technologies. We must invest in opportunities for teachers to expand their knowledge and skills”.
“It is pertinent to note that the quality of teachers directly impacts student outcomes. When we invest in our teachers, we are investing in the future of our children and our nation as a whole.
“We cannot emphasize enough the profound impact that a dedicated and skilled teacher can have on a student’s life. We should celebrate our educators and provide them with the tools and support they need to excel.
“Our education system should reflect the diversity of our society. Encouraging a diverse pool of teachers can help bridge cultural gaps and provide positive role models.
“Teachers are facing increasing challenges in their roles, self-actualization, and mental health issues. We must prioritize teacher well-being to ensure they can provide the best support to their students.
However, Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani opined that teachers are a crucial contact of authority outside the home, and they are you are highly regarded as not only tutors but also second parents, especially at the primary and secondary levels of learning.
The Governor in his goodwill message to Kaduna teachers, gave the assurance of his administration’s willingness to continue to support and build on the capacity of teachers while improving their welfare to attract the younger generation to the noble profession of teaching, as it was in the past.
“The 2023 theme for World Teachers Day is timely especially with the current dire economic realities experienced by Nigerians, now more than ever we need the firm but loving hands of you, our esteemed teachers to circumvent these murky times, with your knowledge and expertise.
“I want to urge you to continue to instill the virtues of patience, diligence, and contentment into our children whom we have entrusted in your care.” Governor Sani said.
Gov. Sani put a smile on the faces of the Kaduna teachers when he disclosed some interventions and programmes towards improving the abilities of teachers across Kaduna state, which include: TPD, and training for over 8,000 teachers.
, STEP training for 9,000 teachers in collaboration with the British Council.Digital Literacy Training for 8,500 teachers with support from BESDA.
He also announced the development of a Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) with support from UNICEF.,160 ECCDE teachers trained on REGIO EMILIA with support from UNICEF, trained 2400 teachers in Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology in 3 Local Government Areas.
Other interventions according to him include training 2,667 teachers on Accelerated Foundational teaching skills in 6 LGEAs with support from the PLANE programme and, Conducting Biometric Verification for teachers.
Reacting to these interventions and Programs Dr Abdulkadir Yahaya Mohammed
Kaduna State University KASU said the interventions by the Kaduna State Government are a welcome development because there is a need for teachers to be able to guide digital natives to have different learning styles.
The digital natives according to him who are part of the programs of the state government have different concerns than previous students, saying the concern is how to apply technology in learning.
“Teachers need to keep up with this changing landscape and need to learn, develop, and innovate new ways to support today’s learners.
“Government at all levels should train, retrain, and organize workshops to keep teachers technologically compliant. In addition, computers and smartphones should be procured and distributed to teachers free of charge or at subsidized rate. Doing this will be a game changer!” He stressed
Going by the 2023 WTD “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage”. , Improving the status of teachers is beyond money, It includes building their capacities to ensure they deliver better quality education.
