World Teacher’s Day: Teachers Need Their Rewards On Earth, by Nurudeen Dauda

To start with, in Nigeria there is a popular saying which states that teachers’ reward is in the heaven. This literarily means that no matter the amount of money one pays to a teacher it will never be enough as compensation to a teacher when compares with the value of the services he or she renders to your child or children.

In my view, teachers should be paid as much as bankers in order to attract the best brains into the profession. They deserve to be well compensated. In deed , teachers deserve their rewards both “here” on earth and in the “hereafter”.

It is sad to note that, the welfare of the Nigerian teacher is generally poor, especially, at the primary school level. No one is anymore attracted to the profession. Something needs to be done urgently! The profession that used to be the first choice of the best brains in the society is now seen as the last option for the jobless.

In the past the status of a teacher is next to that of the District Head and or a Village Head in the society. In the past teachers are highly admired and cherished by many people in the society. Sadly to note, the profession is no longer being admired and cherished by the people in the society. The profession nowadays does no longer attract the best brains? Year- in- year- out, teachers’ welfare continue to deteriorate.

It baffles me to note that, primary education which is the foundation of education is largely being handled by the most dysfunctional tiers of government. Both the federal and state governments intervention shows little or nothing. No building stands without a sound and or a solid foundation. For us to get it right, we must build a solid foundation in our educational system. For the foundation to be solid we must get well motivated and qualified teachers to manage the system. We must not “joke” with the foundation of our education.

In my thought, local governments or state governments cannot adequately maintain primary education anymore. The Local governments due to lack of financial autonomy and poor IGR lack the financial capacity to efficiently and effectively fund primary education.

Primary school teachers in virtually all the states of the federation are among the worse hit in terms poor and unpaid salaries etc. Their working conditions are generally very poor. Even at that they are not being paid as and when due. Their employers pay little or no attention to their training and retraining. The teaching profession which is once an elite profession is now an “All- comers job”. It is now a platform for political patronage or compensation to political thugs.

The financing model of primary education in Nigeria which is the responsibility of states and Local Governments needs to be rethink. It is high the federal government pays more attention to primary education. The present federal government intervention is not given the desired result. Primary Education as it were is in the “concurrent legislative list” rather than the “Exclusive legislative list” which means a shared power (and or responsibilities) between the three tiers of government.

The federal government intervenes in primary education through the Universal Basic Education Act. The 2004 UBE Act makes education free and compulsory from primary to Junior Secondary School. The Act provides 2% deducted directly from the consolidated revenue fund with 50% counterpart funding required between the federal and states government in order to fund primary education. The Act provides for the establishment of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to co -ordinate the implementation of programmes at the states and local government through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) of each state of the federation and the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) across the country.

It very worrisome to note that, due to lack of financial commitment from most state governments there are billions of naira in UBEC account meant for the development of primary education unutilized. Let us find a way of making the fund useful. For states to fully benefit from the Fund, criteria were established which states are to comply with before benefiting. We must rise up and rescue primary education in Nigeria. In doing so, the welfare of teachers should be on the front burner.

The 5th day of October of every year is set aside as a World Teachers’ Day. The day is celebrated because of an important international agreement about teachers. On 5th October 1966, UNESCO and the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The document set international standards concerning teachers’ rights, responsibilities, working conditions, education, training, and professional development. To commemorate that milestone, UNESCO established World Teachers’ Day in 1994, and it has been observed every year on 5th October.

It is apt to state that, public schools in Nigeria on annual basis often observe a symbolic World Teachers Day with a Day off from work for the teachers, but it is sad to note that, most private schools do not find it worthy to observe Teachers Day with Day off from work. A Day off for teachers to mark the World Teachers’ Day means a lot to them. Is there any justification by the private schools? Will a Day off for teachers on the World Teachers’ Day affect teaching and learning?

On annual Teachers Day celebration, teachers often gather in a public square to discuss about their welfare and the challenges being faced by them. It is a platform used by the teachers through their unions to advocate for their better welfare and review their challenges. The Government often sends good will messages to teachers through press releases and or by sending it direct representation to the venues of Teachers Day occasions across states.

Let us properly fund primary education.
Let us find a way of attracting back the best brains into the teaching profession .

May God bless Nigeria!

Nurudeen Dauda, Kaduna State.