THE celebration today of World Teachers’ Day reminds everyone that teachers are the bedrock of any modern society. Apart from shaping the future of generations, they serve as role models for the youth. Beyond speeches, President Bola Tinubu and his education ministers, and the state governments should undertake a critical review of Nigeria’s education system, including how the Nigerian teacher has fared, as a prelude to sweeping reforms.
This year’s theme, “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse Teacher Shortage,” speaks to a major gap in Nigeria’s education sector; the shortage of qualified teachers and should serve as another wake-up call.
October 5 every year is set aside, explained UNESCO, to celebrate the resilience of teachers all around the world. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1996 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions.
Being a teacher, according to UNESCO, provides the unique opportunity to make a transformative and lasting impact on the lives of others, contributing to shaping sustainable futures and offering personal fulfilment.
However, the world faces an unprecedented global teacher shortage exacerbated by a decline in their working conditions and status, said the UN.
Nigeria’s case is troubling. There are not enough teachers for the teeming student population. One reason cited is the poor welfare of teachers in the country, which has driven very bright minds away from the profession into more lucrative vocations.
According to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, the country has only 2.3 million registered teachers on its database as of 2023. This is barely enough to cater to the over 20.1 million out-of-school children (per UNESCO).
There are multiple challenges. UNICEF noted that in the North-East, the teacher-to-student ratio is 1:124. Little wonder the region hosts the highest population of out-of-school children
Teachers in Togo can earn as much as $111 monthly, according to official figures. This is higher than the country’s minimum wage of $64 per month.
Today’s world is knowledge-driven. Competing requires acquisition of cutting-edge skills and information. Constantly, there should be better welfare package for the teachers.
The National Union of Teachers complains that teachers leaving the service in many states were not being replaced, while the quality of teaching is fast declining. The NUT’s calls for urgent and creative action by the state governments to accord priority to the education should resonate with the governors.
The Universal Basic Education Commission said there were 354,651 teachers for 7.2 million students in pre-primary schools; 915,593 teachers for 32 million students in primary schools; and 416,291 teachers for eight million students in junior secondary schools.
Over the years, the federal and various state governments have tried to address the problems; but the policies have proved to be inadequate. More should be done.
Recently, Nigeria saw a mass migration of teachers when the United Kingdom commenced a teacher’s recruitment, which will prioritise applicants from Nigeria and other developing countries. They will be paid thousands of pounds to teach 11-16 year-old children mathematics, languages and science.
To improve quality and avoid losing more competent ones, therefore, Nigeria’s governments should improve their training, welfare, and career progression.
