October 5 of every year marks a special day in the world and our development as the United Nations Organisation has set it aside to recognize and appreciate the unquantifiable efforts of key nation-builders, the teachers. And thus tagging the day- World Teachers Day.
The roles of the teachers in any nation of the world cannot be over emphasised as they are indisputably a major stakeholder in national development. The products of their activities after lots of sleepless nights, preparing for our future, strategizing ways which each child would live up to expectations, are what the world is looking up to. Lawyers who uphold justice, doctors who save lives, engineers who make life easy through technology and many from numerous fields of human endeavors whom humanity is benefiting immensely from their knowledge, all have gone through that individual whom, having swum through life, availed his ocean of knowledge for others.
Very disheartening that the efforts of these individuals of calibre are barely recognized not to talk of appreciated by our government and even individuals they have nurtured. Claims might come they do but it all end on the lips without adequate actions to better their activities. Their welfare, rights and privileges even though minute, are still not forthcoming as expected. A comparison between the wages and salaries of a Nigerian teacher and their counterparts in other countries is not a pride but humiliation. If the paddler of the education sector of the country is given such poor attention, what more do we anticipate from such if not less to standard?
Growing up as a kid, we used to live in a society where teachers are preciously valued and cared for. Basic and necessary amenities and welfare to be up to the task in delivering and abiding by the sworn oath of the noble teaching profession are provided. Society respected them and placed them in high class. Alas! They have been relegated to the least status. What went wrong?
Unarguably, if this should go on without an immediate halt, all should know that our tomorrow is not guaranteed, not to talk of being bright. Imagine a society without a good teacher?
As a matter of national importance and emergency, there is need for the government across all levels and private individuals to look closely into the education sector and carry out all actions necessary to revive it to standard. In that sector lies our tomorrow and for our tomorrow, we definitely must sacrifice today.
A drastic end should be put to the incessant industrial actions embarked on by unions in this sector, frequent closure of institutions of learning, lack of adequate learning facilities and numerous other. To our ever resilient teachers, you are celebrated and urged not to relent in doing your good work in transforming us from the state of Tabula Rasa to being an epitome of knowledge because the future looks brighter with your efforts.
God bless Our Teachers!
Waheed Shotonwa, shotonwa.waheed@gmail.com
