Maths Professor: Teachers’ Standing in Society Gradually Eroding
Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
A professor of Mathematics, Mercy Orukari, has lamented that in many parts of the world, including Nigeria, the social and professional standing of teachers are being steadily eroded.
She also described teachers as the architect of a nation’s future, shaping the minds that will go on to build societies, economies, cultures and shape the intellectual and moral foundation of future generations.
Orukari was speaking at a lecture as part of activities organised by Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Abuloma, Old Girls Association, where serving and retired teachers were honoured with awards to marking the 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The Teachers Appreciation Day, organised to commemorate this year’s World Teachers’ Day, brought together educators from federal, state and private schools, including former teachers of FGGC Abuloma now serving in Bayelsa State.
Held under the theme: “Protecting and Advancing the Status of the Teaching Profession,” the event also included presentation of gifts to teachers and a cultural performance by students of St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School.
Orukari who currently teaches at the Niger Delta University (NDU) and was a teacher at FGGC Abuloma, said in many societies teachers do not receive the recognition, compensation, or professional respect that match the weight of their responsibility.
She said, “They are squeezed by low pay, limited career progression, heavy workloads, diminishing public respect, and growing interference in classroom autonomy.
“Protecting and advancing the status of teachers is not merely a matter of fairness to individuals in the profession, it is a strategic necessity and essential to the health of any education system and, by extension, any nation’s development.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairperson of FGGC Abuloma old girls, Bayelsa State branch, Dr Pauline Sawyer, said the initiative was aimed at recognising the contributions of teachers whose work often went unacknowledged despite its impact on society.
She said the association honoured teachers from Federal Government College, Odi; Federal Government Girls College, Imiringi; Federal Technical College, Tungbo; St Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata; BDGS, Ovom; and a private school.
According to Sawyer, the recognition also extended to retired teachers, former FGGC Abuloma educators now teaching in Bayelsa, and members of the old girls’ association who are teachers or operate schools and continue to support the profession.
“Teachers are the least appreciated persons in this world, especially in Nigeria, yet they sow so much into the lives of everyone,” she said.
Sawyer, an accountant, noted that teachers had trained professionals across different fields, including medicine and accountancy, but rarely received commensurate recognition for their contributions.
At the AGM plenary, held at the Golden Tulip Resort, Yenagoa, at the weekend, the Global President of the association, Lady Chinwe Ikpoki, said the meeting provided an opportunity for members to review their achievements and consider how to sustain the association’s work.
Ikpoki also announced the launch of Sisterhood Chronicles, a quarterly electronic newsletter designed to document the association’s activities, celebrate members’ achievements and preserve its history.
The AGM was held under the theme, “Beyond the Golden Years: Inspiring the Future Through a Legacy of Sisterhood and Service.”
The Special Guest of Honour, Ambassador Amaba Sam-Ogbuku, represented by Mrs Victoria Rex-Mabinton, described the theme as a reflection of the association’s history and a guide for its future.
