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The 2022 World Teachers’ Day was marked globally on October 5 with the theme: “The transformation of education begins with teachers.” Marked annually every October 5, the day was set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to celebrate the transformative and critical role of teachers in growing leaners. The World Teachers’ Day was recongnised in 1994, with the aim of the adoption of UNESCO/ILO recommendation.
In marking this year’s World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO acknowledged that “education is key for achieving the global goals and teachers are key for achieving inclusive, quality education and a better future for all.” In Nigeria, the day was marked with great speeches and promises on how to improve the welfare of teachers as well as increase the funding of education.
At a ceremony to celebrate the day at Eagle’s Square, Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari promised to reposition the teaching profession by enhancing their welfare and other matters. According to Buhari, “our new teachers’ policy is already being implemented at the federal level and in some states and I urge states that have not, to do so immediately, the gains are already showing.”
Also, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has lampooned the non-implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage in some states as well as the inability of the federal government to implement the new teachers’ special salary scale. NUT National President, Titus Amba, said: “The basic and secondary education sub-sectors are faced with serious challenges.” Some of these challenges include shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure, lack of instructional materials, insecurity in schools, inadequate funding and poor conditions of service.
Beyond the promises of improving the lot of Nigerian teachers by the federal and state governments, it is time they improve the investment in education. If 26 per cent of the national budget is allocated to the education sector, some of the problems identified by the NUT President and other stakeholders can be effectively tackled. Regrettably, not less than 10 teachers were reportedly killed and over 50 kidnapped by terrorists from January 2022 to date across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna state. The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Kaduna State chapter, used the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day to urge Governor Nasir el-Rufai to effect the release of the teachers and other kidnapped victims in the state. While commending Nigerian teachers for their resilience and dedication to duty in the face of all odds, we decry the poor conditions of service of virtually all teachers across the country. We enjoin the federal and state governments to stop paying lip-service to the welfare of teachers and the funding of education. At a time the world is celebrating the World Teachers’ Day, it is sad that some teachers have been killed and others abducted by terrorists.
Unfortunately, Nigeria has over 20 million children who are outside the school system and the strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is entering the 8th month. There is even no sign that the matter will soon be resolved amicably. At this time also, many Nigerians are leaving the country in droves in search of higher education and greener pastures in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and others. The government must use this occasion of celebrating teachers and their role in the education of school children to holistically address the problems of the beleaguered sector. The first step towards revamping the sector is to ensure the implementation of the new teachers’ special salary scale as well as increasing investment in education. The rising education tourism and brain drain should be halted before the sector is totally ruined.
At the same time, the teaching profession, which is noble, should be equally professionalised in line with global best practices. Let government prioritise the training and retraining of teachers for more effectiveness in the classroom. Since schools are increasingly becoming insecure due to terrorists attacks in some states, it is time to rejig the safe school initiative. Teaching should be made attractive to young graduates by enhancing its prestige. It must not be regarded as a job of last resort, when all things have failed.
