Nigerian Youths' Hatred for Teaching Killing Education in Ekiti, Teachers Warn
Teachers in Ekiti State have raised concern over their
perceived strong aversion for teaching the youths now have due to wrong
perception that those in the profession are poorly remunerated.
They regretted that this accounted for the low
level of subscription for education-related courses in all Nigerian
universities, especially in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
examinations.
The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ekiti
State chapter, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of
Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Sola Adigun, raised the observation in Ado Ekiti at the weekend while honouring 60 ASUSS members who recently retired from the state
teaching service commission after 35 years of service.
Expressing sadness over the perceived strong
aversion the young stocks have for teaching, Adigun said: " Obviously, the
manner other professions, including military, are able to attract young
persons, the teaching profession is not, because it has been made so
unattractive, yet the future of the society depends on the quality of knowledge
acquired by its young generation who are moulded by reluctant and unmotivated
teachers.
"I blame the development on the society poor
perception about teachers and government unfriendly policies towards the
teaching profession as well as education generally.
"The theme of this year's Teachers' Day celebrated
a couple of weeks ago which was ‘Young Teachers, the feature of the Profession’,
showed that the government was already aware of this ugly trend."
Citing reasons for the ugly trend, Adigun frowned at
what he described as discriminatory treatment against teachers, saying it was
wrong to peg teacher's terminal grade
on level 16, whereas their counterparts in the civil service with same
qualification retire at Grade level 17.
He pointed out that many classroom teachers in secondary
schools parade Master degrees and Doctoral certificates, with no commensurate
insignia to their academic statuses, which he said was not applicable in the
public service.
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The ASUSS chairman also noted that “poor
infrastructure, lack of teaching aid, rickety and deplorable school buildings,
classrooms and staff rooms are suffice
to discourage any vibrant young minds from venturing into the teaching
profession."
Meanwhile, ASUSS has congratulated the pioneer Vice
Chairman of the union and the Principal of Ise Comprehensive High School, Mr.
Abe Ebenezer Adebayo, for emerging the
second best administrator of secondary schools in Nigeria in the president's
Teacher's and Schools Excellence Awards held in Abuja.
Adigun said the union was proud that Adebayo was
presented with the certificate of honour and other gifts in Abuja.
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