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A teacher affects eternity; he can
never tell where his influence stops….Henry Adams
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has stood its
ground against what it perceives as unfair and cruel treatment by the Federal
Government who has been preventing its members from having the same rights as
other people have. NUT is pressing for the implementation of the Teachers
Salary Structure which basically means more money. But the Federal Government
is adamant saying, a teacher’s reward remains in heaven.
Minister of State for Education 2, Hajiya Aishatu Jibril
Dukku, was reportedly said that even if the Federal Government were to
implement the Teachers Salary Structure, not all teachers would benefit from it
because “a bulk of them is not qualified to be called teachers”. Dukku, like
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, has urged the aggrieved teachers to
take their case to the National Assembly or state governments saying, the
Federal Government has no powers to fix salaries for states.
According to Dukku, the issue is lingering because the
NUT wants a centralised formula for the TSS whereas there is a clear cut of
responsibility between the Federal, States and Local Governments. She wants us
to believe that unqualified teachers are just hiding under a cover of NUT to
push their demands. Brilliant thought! But what of those who are qualified? Or
is Madam Dukku telling us that all teachers in Nigeria’s schools are not
qualified? And whose fault it is if unqualified teachers remain in the
establishment?
It seems to me that whichever arm of the government
involved in this TSS is playing hanky-panky with the NUT. Otherwise the case
should be so simple that there would not have been any argument over which
establishment to be contacted. For the fact that the issue is ‘lingering’ just
because the NUT is contacting the wrong arm of government says a lot about how
things work in Nigeria. It seems there’s no clear cut policy; no effective
communication; no preparation for emergency cases and so on.
Due to the sensitivity of their job, teachers must be
prevented from going on strike under any circumstance. But who cares about the
quality of education in today’s Nigeria? Who cares whether Ade or Chioma or
Muhammad receives qualitative education or not? The situation has even reached
a point where one is forced to think that various governments are killing
education in disguise for the purpose known to them. Now you know why the late
Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu had so many thugs to cater for.
Part of the problem facing teaching in the
contemporary world, according to analysts, is that its status as a profession
has been undermined by the contemptible view that only what makes money is
desirable. When people lose sight of the invisible rewards on offer in different
avocations, many kinds of work that make the world a better place suffer a loss
of talent. I believe this statement to be true in Nigeria today. Successive
governments have waged war against education system in Nigeria. No wonder many
qualified teachers have left the country in search of better offers. Is it that
difficult to regulate their living standard?
When teachers go on strike, it’s obvious who suffer.
That is why a four-year course now runs for five to six years in Nigeria. That
is why many employers are crying that Nigerian students lack necessary skills
to integrate them into employment society. That is why most of them have found
solace in cultism, armed robbery, prostitution and sugar daddy’s toys. An idle
mind, they say, is the devil’s workshop. A serious government would prevent
teachers going on strike by all means – at least for the sake of its children.
Gone are the days when Nigerian teachers were
teachers; when they naively believed their rewards were in heaven. Today’s
Nigerian teachers have woken up, aggressive as their counterparts in politics,
police, and the media. Their demand for increase in salary is justified. After
all, they don’t get brown envelope or N20. Well, those in the Higher
Institutions have hand-outs to sell, but we are talking about primary and
secondary schools for now. How could our teachers survive with the current
salary structure? I believe the current situation whereby teachers can’t even
eat three meals a day would hinder their performance.
It’s simply injustice if a local chairman or a
governor or a senator who does nothing receives fat salary and allowances while
a teacher receives meagre income. Teachers are not fools. They read everyday
how much money their politician counterparts stole from the public treasury.
They read how in spite of this act of robbery, politicians still receive honour
here and there. They see and read how their counterparts in the media are
building mansions. Do you then blame them for demanding their rewards here on
earth? I don't.
But teaching is much more than that. It cannot be
compared with any other profession in terms of its significance. A nation
cannot talk about progress while making its teachers suffer. Perhaps it’s what
Aristotle had in mind when he says, “teachers should be more honoured than
parents, for whereas parents give their children life, teachers give their
children a good life”.
Of course everyone knows that teaching has never been
a highly paid profession despite its importance. Hence the coinage, “A
teacher’s reward is in heaven”. Teaching, I strongly believe, is not for the
undedicated mind. A teacher must be patient at all times. That’s why “it was
once a highly respected (profession), and the status enjoyed by teachers helped
compensate them for the dedication and difficulty involved in their vocation,”
says one A. C. Grayling in his book, “The reason of Things”.
As for now, I don’t have any solution for the on-going
strike. As in many other issues affecting Nigeria, there are plenty solutions
but none of which the Federal Government is willing to implement. Maybe it’s a
cause on the nation to have people like these at the helm of affairs. They are
all pretenders masquerading as genuine and caring leaders. I ask: why do
governments treat teachers as a people who must be paupers?
I would never respect a government that allows its
teachers to go on strike under any circumstance. How could teachers’ salary be
a problem when a Iyabo Obasanjo and her staff could party with a surplus of
millions of naira; when a Minister could withdraw N31bn in 6 days for
nothing; when a governor could celebrate birthday in such a fanfare with the
public fund; when they are building mansions at home and abroad; when they
are......God dey sha!
Copyright
2008
mysmallvoice@yahoo.com
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Authors 
Posted by Robot| 03.07.2008 00:26