Dearth of qualified teachers looming, says Koiki

Director of Greensprings School, Lagos, Mrs. Lai Koiki, in this interaction with ENO-ABASI SUNDAY, speaks on how to renew youth’s interest in the teaching profession, steps to take to avert an imminent qualified manpower dearth in the sector and how to make teachers live honourably in the society.

Considering the disinterest shown in the teaching profession by contemporary Nigerian youths, can the education sector ever experience a dearth of qualified teachers anytime soon?

The education sector is already experiencing a decline in the availability of effective qualified teachers, which is an indication that the sector can indeed experience a dearth of qualified teachers if remedial steps are not taken urgently. Obtaining a degree in education for most is usually as a last resort in getting a university qualification, borne out of not being admitted into other lucrative courses, rather than a deliberate intention to become a teacher. Very few youths voluntarily study education, because it is neither seen as a reputable nor dignifying profession.

It has also been observed unfortunately that, some trained and qualified teachers run away from the profession as soon as they are opportuned to secure employment in any organisation that offers higher salary.

However with the new administration in place there is the renewed hope that their stated policy thrust, which include the reinvention of teacher education amongst other things will be implemented – what is required is the political will and continuity to make this happen. This presupposes that attention will be paid to teacher education irrespective of the current economic situation. If this is actualised, the disinterest referred to here will only be short-lived as government will pay attention to curbing the situation.

If we however, fail to deliberately redress the situation then the education sector will very soon experience a dearth of qualified teachers to the detriment of our national development.

Is there a relationship between the way teachers are treated in the larger Nigerian society, and the lack of interest shown by youths in the profession?

Yes I believe so. There is a general belief that those who are in the teaching profession are there because they couldn’t get anything else and are therefore treated as second rated professionals. The old adage, those who can, do: those who can’t, teach: is something that the wider Nigerian society appears to believe is true.

Also, the population of teachers is more than that of any professionals in the society; they are seen everywhere and thus, teachers are commonised and disrespected.

An attribute of most teachers is that they possess a great sense of humility, which is a good virtue, but is being misconstrued by the society as lack of self-esteem thus leading to a display of disrespect for teachers. However we must remember how incredibly important teachers are. As Henry Adams put it, ‘A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.’

Sometimes it seems that we value education without valuing those that are charged with providing the education. I, however, do not think it is all gloomy or that this feeling is peculiar to Nigeria. We have had numerous instances where former students have come back many years after to thank and acknowledge the teachers for the impact they have had on them. This is an indication that once teachers impart positive lifelong values on their students there is no reason for students, parents and the larger community to denigrate them.

Although it is disturbing that in our society today, people generally place higher value on material possession than any other attributes, we still have many Nigerians that are role models for our youths and some notable ones amongst these role models are teachers who are held in high esteem by their students and their parents for life.

It may not be possible for governments at different tiers to pay teachers very attractive or competitive salaries. So, what in your opinion can governments at different levels do to reawaken youths’ interest in the teaching profession?

Once again, we are equating services of teachers with financial benefits commensurate with their services. It is not possible to provide materially for a teacher’s service for all that he/she has contributed in the overall development of the child. Suffice to say that teachers must earn sufficiently well to be able to take care of their families and, of course, live honourably in the society. Furthermore just like other employees of government, once the basic needs of teachers are met, the appropriate thing for government to do is to promote values of integrity, excellence, respect, service, patriotism amongst others and reward teachers accordingly. We therefore need to come up with ways of projecting a positive image for the teaching profession possibly through a media campaign – showcasing the importance of teachers to the future of Nigeria. We need to understand that teachers are incredibly powerful and the future of our nation is in their hands.

In addition, our government need to embark on an aggressive training of teachers all over the country on self-confidence, self-esteem and self-actualisation. Teachers need to have a conscious mental orientation that they are important, relevant and respected. Helen Caaldicott said, ‘Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth.’

Another way of raising the profile of teachers is through the giving of bursaries to support initiatives such as the training of ICT teachers at university level. The government could provide scholarships or partial scholarships for people to take other relevant courses in education. This would also help to raise the profile of an education degree and make young people realise that the government values their contributions to the society.

It is important to note that the lack of respect for teachers is not only peculiar to our nation – it is indeed a universal issue. Some nations like Singapore and Norway employ the best brains as teachers in schools and remunerate them adequately; this will surely elevate the profile of teachers and also produce desired results in such societies. This is therefore a path we could emulate as a nation. Parents should also train and encourage their children as a matter of responsibility to respect and value their teachers.

The government should make sure that teachers are trained and re-trained on a regular basis, reward and commend them and expose them to best practices.

Teachers should be offered soft loans by the government to own landed property, buy cars etc; this will invariably raise their morale and prestige.

How are private schools like yours treating teachers to get the best from them?

At Greensprings Schools, teachers are regarded as worthy partners; they are the driving force, the engine of growth and development. We work hard to ensure that everyone in the community understands and appreciates the importance of teachers and the role of education to both the individual child and also larger society. Our teachers are treated like the professionals they are. We ensure that teacher’s efforts are valued and the environment in which they work is comparable or better, than that which is found in other industries. Teachers are rewarded and recognised for their service e.g. Long Service Award and Outstanding Teacher of the Year award. Our PTA is also very active in supporting the staff and appreciating them.

Professional development is perhaps the singular most important value added opportunity for our teachers. We invest heavily in professional development support staff in their own development and many are undergoing online or distance, masters’ degrees or other programmes. Our teachers have abundant resources to work with. Professionalism is identified, respected and rewarded here and they are given higher responsibilities and promoted to position such as year level heads, heads of department, heads of year, subject coordinators etc, all these in an effort to raise their morale and professional integrity.

We are also working towards extending the reach of our training by establishing the Greensprings’ Teacher Training College, through which our teachers can acquire professional training and international certification. It is worthy of note that we have just been accredited by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) to offer professional development qualifications such as certificate and Diploma in Teaching and Learning as well as Educational Leadership. We are the first school in Nigeria to be so accredited.

We are also working with Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and the International Montessori Council in the US to offer an Early Childhood Montessori Teacher