A doctor can’t be taught what to do by the patient, neither can the society compel them on how to treat an ailment. Same with how a passenger cannot dictate a pilot’s route to them, brother can the society force policies down their throat. In Nigerian society, we have not gotten used to the fact that teachers are also professionals, just like the doctors and the pilots. Today, we will see why teachers should be included in the formation of educational policies.

Teachers are an important part of society
One can argue that teachers play the most important role in society. Apart from simply imparting wisdom and knowledge, they shape the young ones and the future. Teachers set children up to be successful citizens of the world. Good teachers are an asset that our society should hold on to dearly. Only they, can build positive and inspired generations. This is tremendous pressure, but they do it so casually, underrated by many because of how noble the profession is. Teachers act as role models to young students, opening them up to learn values like discipline, organization, punctuality, communication, and dedication.

Are the teachers being heard?
Speak to many teachers today, and they will tell you that their concerns are NOT being heard. From classroom level policies to state policies and national policies, we are not listening to our teachers. We are not listening to the people we tasked with shaping the design of society locally and internationally. We ignore the opinions of our teachers. A grave mistake! Our teachers need to be heard across all levels.
How to listen to our teachers

There are several steps school leaders and policy makers can take to hear our teachers out. Surveys and evaluations can help to acquire meaningful feedback from our teachers. Surveys can help pinpoint any concerns teachers have and help with solutions to address them. We also need to create a nexus between the teachers and parents/society so we can be more understanding of their plight. Teachers should be able to engage parents more often and work hand-in-hand towards child development. Policy makers must also try not to exclude teachers from important conversations.

In Conclusion
For proper child development, education policies must be a joint-venture between school leaders, teachers, parents and policy makers. Teachers should get a say in policy matters as they are the experts at child development. We need to recognize their voices more and take their opinions more seriously.