By Oyinkansola Adeoti, AAPOLY
Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Otto-Ijanikin, Lagos, Prof. Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, has stressed the need to involve teachers in the development of educational policies and practices.
The don said it was imperative for teachers’ to be part of the decision-making process in the country. According to her, generations of teachers play crucial roles, adding that they are the backbone of the education system, responsible for imparting knowledge and shaping the future of students.
She spoke at the World Teachers’ Day celebration on campus. It had as theme: Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education.
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Lafiaji-Okuneye,who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Dr Adebayo Daodu, stressed that teachers should keep pushing hard until their voices become significantly effective in shaping educational practices and polices.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Ogunyemi Taiwo Florence of Tai Solarin University of Education(TASUED), Ogun State, underscored the need for better appreciation and involvement of teachers in policy-making. “Teaching is one of the least appreciated professions in Nigeria today,” she remarked, urging for the professionalisation of teaching as a collaborative endeavour.
She said: “From personal observations and research evidence, it has been shown that teachers’ voices are critical elements to educational success and the ability to meet the needs of students.Teachers voices are invaluable resources which should not be taken as distraction or treated with levity within and outside the educational system.
Teachers are the pillars of the education structure and are at the front line of the education system. Their voices critical assets to formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies in the education sector.
No meaningful reform in education can be attained without teachers’ inputs and teachers’ pivotal role in realizing the educational goals of the nation cannot be overstressed.
“If teachers are given the opportunity to collaborate with other stakeholders in education, a drastic improvement in the planning, implementation, and success of new education strategies and reforms would seamlessly be realized. Teachers would not only feel more esteemed if involved in the decision-making process, they would feel more valued and respected, and the motivation to undertake their central role, which is, delivering quality education would greatly increase.
“All stakeholders – children, youth, parents, teachers, researchers, activists, employers, cultural and religious leaders must come together to champion the future of education in Nigeria. We have deep, rich, and diverse cultural traditions to build upon to achieve this. As we all know, humans have great collective agency, intelligence, and creativity that can make us make a serious choice: either to continue on an unsustainable path or to radically change the course.
Valuing teaching and teachers’ voices is a challenge that must be addressed squally and expeditiously if Nigeria is to join the league of nations where social contracts in education are established and thriving. To show that we value teaching as a profession and we appreciate what the teachers are doing, Nigeria must address the low esteem of teachers arising from the poor reward system, the uninviting working environment, incomparable public image and other debilitating conditions of those who build and mould the characters and competences of our future leaders.”