THE LOST PROFESSION
Teaching as profession has long been relegated to the pages of long forgotten journals. Teachers are national builders but the government and it's citizens are hell bent on destroying the lives of teachers. No wonder the standard of education in Nigeria keeps devaluing like Naira against dollar. Just as it is practically impossible for one naira (#1) to equate one dollar again in Nigeria, so also the standard of education in Nigeria. I am sure Awolowo and other founding fathers will die over and over again over the irredeemable damage done to education.
During the good old days, Teachers are perceived as demigods capable of doing the unimaginable with there God given talents. The best brains in the country today is enough to attest to this. Teachers standard of living is something everybody look up to.
Today, the story has changed. The society in collaboration with the satanic government has approved the status of Teachers in the society. And that is "A teacher will die as a pauper". Teachers are now seen as 3rd class citizens in the country. The salary package alone speak volumes about the profession. Politicians, health, Oil & gas, communication and Engineer happens to fall in the same categories of people the society now look up to. Even an ordinary health extension worker receive more pay than some principals. What a pathetic situation!!!.
The profession has been bastardized as every Dick and Harry now see teaching as a "stepping stone". The regulatory body TRCN (Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria) and NUT (Nigeria Union of Teachers) has done more harm than any good to the profession. Certificates and License are issued to anybody who might have failed to secure his or her "dream job". Can a teacher be issued a License to practice in the Court or hospital? Then why teaching? The best way an Economics Teacher can explain job mobility based on poor working condition is to use Teaching as a case study. No wonder teachers now join military and paramilitary jobs.
The best way to revive Teaching is to see this profession as equal or more than every other profession. What do you think attract people to medicine, health rated courses Engineering and law? It's the money and prestige. Sadly a Teacher has non of these. TRCN, NUT and Labour can do more than asking teachers to be patient. Get the government to pay Teachers like every other person in the country. If I were to be an Economics or Government Teacher, I would use a Teacher's life In Nigeria as a case study of a citizen in the 3rd or 4th world.
*******To be continued*********