Teachers should be incentivised
The lamentation by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) about dwindling numbers of teachers across the country is troubling. According to the UBEC Executive Secretary, Hamid Bobboyi, many government-owned primary schools, especially in the north, have no more than one teacher to boast of. This is a challenge that should task government at all levels in the country.
Meanwhile, there is no real shortage of teachers in the country since there are vastly educated Nigerians qualified for the job. The problem is the remuneration of teachers in Nigeria. The lack of a decent welfare package for Nigerian teachers has made the job undesirable. Many take to teaching profession simply for want of anything else to do. Teachers are poorly paid and hardly regarded in the society. Yet these are people who shape the future of the nation and beyond. “Only great teachers can produce excellent people and students that will make the future of our country great,” said the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu last year while pledging to pay a bursary of N35,000 each to students of colleges of education in the country. “A positive or negative influence of teachers on any child will have effect on that child. Therefore, the federal government is ensuring access to quality education”.
While the rationale for attracting quality teachers to the classrooms is good, the federal government did not explain where the funds to implement the programme would come from. The states and local governments that own these schools were not even consulted before this major policy decision. In dismissing the idea, the National Association of Parents-Teachers Association (NAPTAN) argued that the proposed amount to the students is higher than the minimum wage which many states have not been able to implement. “Is the federal government aware that the number of students studying education-related courses is in multiple thousands?” asked NAPTAN publicity secretary, Ekundayo Ademola.
All factors considered; therefore, this problem comes down mainly to incentives. The conditions of service for teachers across all tiers in the country are abject. And there is not much on ground to demonstrate the willingness or readiness of government to prioritise education. Even those who studied education in the universities are not excited about taking up teaching appointment. This leaves a huge gap in the schools hence the lamentation by UBEC. In fact, butfor the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, many schools in the country would have folded up due to dearth of teachers.
One major challenge is also that the spate of insecurity discourages interested and qualified teachers from seeking engagement in states where their services may be required. The federal government through UBEC and in partnership with affected states and the NYSC could leverage the abundant manpower that corps could provide. Such a programme could include provision of basic teaching skills at inception, elongated service year for the corps members and enhanced package of incentives. Beyond this, states mostly affected could also be advised to seek qualified teachers from other states under a special scheme like the technical aids corps.
Meanwhile, we are also not oblivious to the quality of education in the country which breeds incompetent teachers. Today, Nigeria is full of jobless graduates who are simply not employable. Major reason: Most of them first missed it at the elementary, basic stages of schooling. UBEC has also confirmed that reports of various assessments indicate that some teachers could barely pass quantitative/qualitative tests set for classes they are meant to teach. Addressing this problem requires the involvement of all stakeholders. And there can be no better time to start than now.
