The Nation Newspaper

Tag: teachers

  • Plight of Enugu’s newly recruited teachers

    Plight of Enugu’s newly recruited teachers

    SIR: There was loud ovation in Enugu State when in January 2012, new teachers were recruited to join the state civil service to bridge the gap in the shortage of manpower in most government owned secondary schools. The successful candidates recruited after rigorous processes of written and oral interviews couldn’t thank their creator enough.

    The scramble for the job dislocated many families. Some qualified jobless housewives who succeeded in the recruitment had to abandon their families from different parts of the country and relocated to their place of posting in different remote areas of Enugu State. Some others residing in neighboring states like Anambra and Imo at the greatest risk of their lives, shuttle daily from their base to different schools where they teach in Enugu.

    They go to work with much enthusiasm not only to impact on their students but also banking on the hope that their monthly salary will henceforth cushion the effect of their heavy spending on transport and other logistics.

    But painfully the countdown began. January, February, March to December no sign. To give them false hopes, sometimes, they will be called to Enugu for verification, computerization and other jargons making the teachers whet their appetite that something is in the offing.

    The situation became so bad that for 13 months the new teachers never received a dime as salary. Frustration gave way to anger and despondency while Christmas for them was not only a sad reminder of a failed system but a moment of regret.

    Suddenly, news began to fly that they are not being paid because the governor is sick and has traveled abroad for treatment. That Chime has left instruction that his deputy should not sign any cheque above N500,000. Some also alleged that the money for the new teacher’s salary was stashed away in the ministry as a fixed deposit in a bank while some powerful people are eating from the accruing interest. The situation has led to the return of the old and outdated aphorism that teachers reward will be in heaven.

    The real question now is whether government had genuine intentions to employ the teachers at the first instance or was it a political gimmick? If the intentions were genuine, why then owe people for one year and expect such people to work and still survive?

    During the Christmas season, some of the new teachers received bank alerts of one month salary out of the 13 months owed while some didn’t receive at all.

    What is happening in Enugu state is a national embarrassment, a misnomer and an aberration. Where are the men of conscience? What of the influential people in the society, the church, civil society groups and other leaders of thought?

    Now that it has been confirmed that Governor Chime is alive while the Acting Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi has also voiced out that Chime properly handed over to him, I think there is no need playing games with people’s misery. Paying the teachers will be one step for us to believe for real that Enugu is working.

    • Patrick Chiejina

    Awka , Anambra state

  • Teachers lament non-payment of Dec. salary in Enugu

    Primary school teachers in Enugu State have appealed to the state government to pay their December 2012 salaries to enable them settle their children’s school fees.

    The teachers accused the government of not giving priority to their welfare to enable them to contribute their quota to the educational advancement of the state.

    One of the teachers, who did not want his name in print, expressed dismay with the government, saying that their families had dry Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    “We celebrated this season almost without food on our table. I could not provide my family with the needed things because I so much relied on my December salary, but to my surprise, we were not paid.

    “I could not even borrow because it was already late and I so much expected this salary to come. It was horrible for my family during the celebrations,” he said.

    Another teacher ,who also preferred anonymity, called on the government to pay the salaries and entitlements to enable them to settle their children’s school fees.

    According to him, schools will resume soon and their children need to resume along with their mates.

    “It is very unfair that one will work and not get paid, especially in this season.

    “We celebrated Christmas and New Year from hand to mouth and now that the celebration is over, the government should endeavour to pay us our money so that we can pay our children’s school fees,” the teacher said.

    A volunteer teacher in a rural community said the government had yet to pay him and his colleagues since their recruitment in 2011.

    When contacted, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers in the state, Mr Chumaife Nze, confirmed the non-payment of salaries and entitlements to the members.

    “I contacted the permanent secretary of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board before Christmas, but he said the salaries and leave allowances have been released but till date, no teacher has received a bank alert on the payment.

    “I do not understand what is happening. Even volunteer teachers have not received any salary since they were recruited in 2011,” Nze said.

     

     

     

  • FG to train 40,000 teachers

    The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, said in Lagos on Friday that 40,000 teachers would be retrained under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) capacity building programme before the end of the year.

    The minister said at the opening ceremony of a retraining workshop that the teachers would be drawn from primary and junior secondary schools.

    She said the capacity building workshops would be organised by National Teachers Institute.

    The minister said the Federal Government was committed to improving the quality of teaching and learning at the basic education level.

    She said that teachers at the junior secondary level would be trained on English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Basic Science, Basic Technology and communication skills.

    The minister restated the commitment of the Federal Government to accord great priority to education.

    “Countries which have made the greatest progress in reducing poverty in recent decades are those which have combined effective and equitable investment in education with sound economic policies,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the minister as saying at the forum.

    Rufa’i said that primary school teachers would be trained on “basic teaching methods, communication, management skills and Information Communication Technology.’’

     

  • Fed Govt begins implementation of housing for teachers

    Fed Govt begins implementation of housing for teachers

    The Federal Government has begun the full implementation of the Housing for All Teachers Scheme (HATS), with a view to ensuring that teachers have access to affordable shelter.

    Minister of State for Education Mr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who spoke in Abuja yesterday when he received the report of the Ministerial Committee on HATS, noted that President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to the welfare of teachers.

    He directed the Legal Unit of the Federal Ministry of Education to perfect the land titles sent in by states to ensure the building of houses by accredited developers takes off.

    The minister said by next month construction would begin in states where land allocation issues have been concluded between the Federal Government and such states.

    He said: “We are committed to this project. By January, we will commence work through the developers in all states where land allocation matters have been concluded.

    “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria on the delivery of this project. No developer is allowed to source funds from commercial banks. This is to ensure that the houses are within the reach of teachers.”

    Wike hailed the committee for setting the implementation of the housing for all teachers in motion, assuring teachers that government would ensure their welfare.

    Presenting the HATS report to the minister, the Chairman of the committee and Director of Procurement, Federal Ministry of Education, Mallam Shehu Aliyu, said some states have made available plots of land for the implementation of the programme.

    He recommended the verification and validation of the developers appointed by the past HATS committee, using the guidelines by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria.

    The HATS committee has the representatives of the NUT, Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria as members.

     

  • Ogun suspends 1,024 teachers for certificate forgery

    Ogun suspends 1,024 teachers for certificate forgery

    The Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board has suspended 1,024 teachers for falsification of certificates and other irregularities.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abeokuta by the Chairman of SUBEB, Chief Mufutau Ajibola.

    According to the statement, the affected teachers are among the 6,531 out of the 19,154 earlier screened in an exercise conducted by a firm of consultants.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that consultants verified the teachers’ claims in the form of statements of result and attestation letters from over 50 higher institutions across the country.

    A final report submitted to the State Government by the CITC Consulting on November 26, indicated that 475 teachers were suspended for possessing forged certificates and not having their attestation letters confirmed by the institutions they presented.

    No fewer than 274 teachers were suspended for not appearing for the screening exercise; 236 for being out rightly unqualified and 12 for exceeding statutory length of service.

    The report also indicated that 11 were suspended for age discrepancies, 14 others were discovered to have died while two of the suspended teachers were considered to be impostors.

     

  • Osun to employ 3,230 teachers

    Osun State Deputy Governor Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori yesterday said the government would employ 3,230 teachers in public primary schools.

    Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, on the second anniversary of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration, Mrs. Laoye-Tomori said the recruitment of more teachers would improve the staff strength and fill the space of teachers who will retire next month.

    The deputy governor, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, said: “Those to be engaged are being carefully scrutinised to determine their professional competence through a transparent exercise devoid of sentiments and favouritism.”

    She said the feeding of pupils has increased the number of children enrolled in schools.

    Mrs. Laoye-Tomori denied claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the government was demolishing schools built by the ousted administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

    She said: “We have not demolished any of the buildings built by Oyinlola in any of our schools because we are not ready to waste our money. In fact, we do not have the paint to waste on erasing the ‘Oyin ni o’ inscription on the buildings. What the present administration has done is to demolish dilapidated buildings to prevent collapse.”

    Mrs. Laoye-Tomori saidthe state government has suspended some teachers for absenteeism.

    She said some were suspended for two weeks and others for one month without pay. On the closure of the College of Education, Ila-Orangun, the deputy governor said the institution would be reopened soon.

    She said the state government has begun the review of the circumstances that led to the institution’s closure.

     

  • Wanted! 1.3 million teachers

    Wanted! 1.3 million teachers

    To attain the objective of Education for All by 2015, the nation needs 1.3 million teachers. For jobless trained teachers, this should be good news as their days in the labour market are numbered. AKINOLA AJIBADE writes.

     

    The prospect of employment for jobless trained teachers is bright. Soon, many of them will be employed to ensure the nation attains the goal of Education for All by 2015 as contained in the Universal Basic Education (UBE) agenda of the Federal Government.

    Director-General of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCEE) Prof Muhammed Junaid, said there is room for 1.3 million teachers, advising those qualified to apply.

    During the 35th pre-convocation lecture of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, Junaid said 1.3 million teachers are needed to bridge the existing shortfall at the basic education level.

    Citing the Federal Ministry of Education Roadmap to Transformation, Junaid said 969,078 teachers are needed in the early childhood and care education sub-sector; 338,147 teachers, primary education sub-sector; 12,329 nomadic education; and 581 junior secondary education. He put the figure of teachers shortage at the basic education at 1,320,135, adding that the commission has designed policies to address the problem.

    The government, he said, must raise the production capacity of colleges of education to 330,033 teachers per annum, as against the estimated capacity of 64,000 teachers per annum.

    Former chairman, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COASU), Epe Chapter, Comrade Yede Francis, said the projection for 1.3 million teachers is right, because of the dearth of teachers in the country.

    He said: “There is no mistake in Junaid’s statement that the country needs 1.3 million teachers. Studies have shown that there are not enough teachers at the primary school level. It is an issue that must be given the desired attention. This means a lot of opportunities have opened up for prospective teachers in Nigeria. We need more teachers, and people must rise to the challenge to save the education sector from collapse.”

    Francis said no nation can arise above its present level without sufficient teachers, arguing that the opposite is the case in Nigeria where people are running away from teachings.

    He said enrolment into the Colleges of Education has slowed down because people are shying away from teaching the profession.

    “Even, enrolment into universities for education course has reduced. The reason is because teachers are not well-remunerated unlike their counterparts in Europe, United States, among other developed economies. Also, teachers who have between 10 and 20 years post-qualification experience are not better either. They are not well- treated.The sdevelopment has made many people to run from teaching, resulting in the shortage of teachers in the country. Based on this, more people are needed to fill the vacuum created in the teaching profession,” he said.

    He said more teachers need to be trained to create jobs at the junior secondary, and primary school level, adding that private and nursery schools are longing to employ quality teachers.

    The Union leader said education facilities are lacking in Nigeria, arguing the issue has affected the quality of teaching in schools. He said some teachers can no longer teach well after 10 or 20 years, advising the government to review the curriculum to provide standard education. He said when this happens, fresh teachers would get opportunities to work and earn a living.

    Francis said teaching opportunities are limitless, urging graduates to utilise them well and stop complaining about unemployment in the country.

    Similarly, the National President, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Alogba, said Junaid was certainly saying the obvious when he said that the country would need N1.3 million teachers in the next few years. Alogba said there is a shortfall in the number of teachers in the primary and secondary schools in the country. He said the development has opened doors of employment for prospective and practising teachers, advising Nigerians to give it the desired attention.

    He said that some states are complying with the National Teachers Policy directives that more teachers be employed to improve the quality of education, while others are not. This, he said, has reduced the population of teachers in the country.

    The NUT’s President said the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommended that a teacher should be attached to 25 students or a maximum of 26 students, noting many countries are yet to adopt the recommendation.

    He said the recommendation was given to ensure that teachers attend to students well and improve their understanding.

    According to him, the UNESCO’s proposals are meant to be implemented all over the world to provide qualitative education and further promote growth. He said Nigeria is one country that has not implemented the recommendation.

    “Many of the states in Nigeria are complying with the UNESCO’s recommendation, while others refused to comply for obvious reason. The reason is finance because they do not want to spend much on education. They like cheap labour, and that is why they recruit few teachers. This has resulted in the overcrowding of classrooms. It is high time that all the states or employers of teachers accepted the UNESCO’s recommendation of a teacher to 25 students to improve the standards of education. With this, there would be more opportunities for people who want to come to teaching profession,” he said.

    He advised people to use the opportunities that are opening in the teaching profession to reduce the rate of unemployment and encourage economic growth.

     

  • Why we sacked teachers, by Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday explained why erring teachers were sacked.

    He said the Bible says “whoever does not work should not eat”.

    Oshiomhole spoke on Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin during an inter-denominational service organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to mark the beginning of his second term in office.

    The service was attended by former Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon, former Governor Osariemen Osunbor and former Niger Delta Development Commissioner (NDDC) Commissioner Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Lady Valerie Ebe and chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), among others.

    Responding to the plea by the state CAN Chairman, Bishop Peter Imasuen, for the recall of sacked teachers, Oshiomhole said: “I pray everyday for God to give me the courage and wisdom to take the right decision. The CAN Chairman has asked me to undo all that we have done. I am a Catholic and I daily ask God to forgive me my sins as I forgive those who sin against me.

    “I appreciate the power of forgiveness, but the Bible says the labourer deserves his wages. The Bible also says that those who do not work should not eat. The Bible also tells us that if a finger leads you to commit sin, it is better to cut it off. If a teacher would lead us to commit sin, we better dismiss that teacher.

    “These are the challenges of leadership. For Edo to work, all its parts must work. Every man and woman of age must work. That is why I take my work seriously.

    “Every leader must device the right means, under the guidance of God, to deploy the carrot and the stick. As you honour or reward those who delivered good service, you must also find the courage to bring to line those who think they can earn without working.

    “The courage to do the two and to define the limit is what has guided me. It is important that I clarify that it hurts me to say to a man, who voted for me only four months ago, that his job is over.

    “Ninety-eight per cent of teachers or more voted for me. I actually met some of them and know some by their names. I know they are relations of ACN leaders. Even yesterday, I learnt that one is the wife of an ACN leader and a personal friend.

    “But my understanding of my brief is that, if I do not have the courage to instill discipline in our public service, the capacity of the government to deliver will be severely weakened.

    “All those beautiful schools will come to naught, if the teachers are in Onitsha when they are supposed to be in the classroom. I worry about the future of our state.

    “If we must have a work force that would produce men and women with the capacity and skill to contribute to the country’s growth, we must pay maximum attention to the quality of public schools and employ teachers that are ready to impact knowledge in an enabling environment.”

    Most Rev. (Dr.) Friday John Imakhai said: “The governor’s electoral victory is well deserved in view of the monumental and positive impact of his administration’s policies in the lives of the people, which is evident in all spheres of our common life.

    Gowon said: “I am here not only to congratulate the governor, but the good people of Edo State for reelecting him. It is certainly the choice of God. The result of the election shows that it is one of the best in the country.

    “It reminds me of the support I had during the Nigerian crisis. The defunct Bendel State was one of the states that gave me the greatest support. I assure you that he would do his best to surpass what he did in the first term.”

    He urged Oshiomhole to work towards achieving greater feats.

  • Rivers Assembly halts teachers’ recruitment

    THE Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) yesterday suspended the recruitment of teachers.

    The second round of the recruitment test was meant to begin this week.

    The lawmakers said they took the decision because the Universal Basic Education and the Senior Secondary Schools’ boards were not involved in the recruitment.

    Mr. Ibiso Nwuche (Ahoada East Constituency 11) raised the motion, which was co-sponsored by members of the Committee on Education, who said the Ministry of Education did not follow due process.

    Speaker Otelemaba Dan-Amachree ordered the Commissioner for Education Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi and her team to appear before the House on Wednesday by 10am.

    Dame Lawrence-Nemi could not be reached for comments, but ministry staff said the commissioner was committed to improving the sector.

    A worker said the ministry has effectively curbed exam malpractices.

    The worker said: “People are complaining because the commissioner is strict. She has not given them chance to manipulate the process and recruit their friends. She always insists on merit.

    “Due to the effective management style of the commissioner, the state has won the best price in education by the Universal Basic Education Commission and many other laurels.”

     

  • Firm launches website for teachers

    A Website to boost professionalism among teachers has been launched by the Standard Mandate International (SMI), an organisation that focuses on capacity building for all cadres of workers and pupils.

    SMI Chief Executive Officer, Pastor Nelson Ayodele, said the website, which made its debut on October 5, World Teachers Day, would showcase Nigerian teachers to the outside world, in addition to providing them a platform to share their experiences and exchange ideas.

    In an interview with The Nation, Ayodele said over 1,000 teachers have registered on the website-www.nigerianteachers.com.

    He said SMI would partner with local and foreign organistaions to provide content and other professional development opportunities for teachers.

    Urging teachers to register on the site, he spoke of the importance of teachers uploading content to contribute to the world knowledge pool and tell African stories.

    “We are trying to partner with organisations across the country to promote our own breed of teachers. You can upload your own stories and photographs on the website. There is no effort to put together stories of African teachers. Most of the books in existence contain stories of foreign teachers. We need to start writing our own stories. If you impact on a child, you can tell your story and post it on the website,” he said.

    Ayodele also said the desire to enhance the pedagogical skills of teachers, was what informed the organisation of a symposium by SMI to commemorate the World Teachers Day.

    Held at the main auditorium of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the symposium discussed the theme: The Facilitation of Learning: Strategies, Risks and Opportunities.

    Lead Paper presenter Chief Kaoli Olusanya, who runs Kith and Kin Educational Schools, Ikorodu, told the teachers that they should disabuse the thought that they are more knowledgeable than their students. On the contrary, he urged them to facilitate learning, which entails helping learners to explore rather than forcing concepts on them.

    “Teaching is defined in terms of the facilitation of a lasting process of meaningful learning which is deep and pervades the learners’ life and behaviour. The teacher’s role is defined as facilitator of learning. Facilitation is about helping people to explore, learn and change,” he said.

    Other speakers, including Mrs M Malaka, Administrator of Deeper Life School; Dr Femi Ogunsanya, CEO of Oxbridge College, Ikeja, who was represented by Mrs Akin Ajayi, made contributions to the topic.