I used to think there is no basis for comparing a Teacher with a Bricklayer but a recent event change my line of thinking.

I went to visit a friend at a construction site around Meiran in Lagos two days ago, and almost immediately I got there I noticed that one of the Bricklayers working there was being called TEACHER by his co-workers. I wondered what would make his colleagues be calling him Teacher, could it be that he is so good that he even trains his colleagues on the job?

So, I inquired about him from one of his colleagues why they refer to him as TEACHER, the man replied that he is actually a school Teacher. Not satisfied, I went to TEACHER himself to hear from the horse’s mouth. The man who appears to me as a man in his mid-40’s told ne his name is ADIO; he said he is actually a trained Teacher and had taught in several schools before deciding to leave the Teaching profession for Bricklaying.

When I asked him why he left Teaching he said

‘things are hard in this country and the mingy, chintzy, niggard school owners make things harder for their workers with the way they treat them thereby; making it difficult for someone like me to feed myself and family. Even the peanuts, meagre pellet which they are expected to pay at the end of the month, the avaricious, penurious and tight-fisted proprietors find it difficult to part with them. It is either they are short-paying or under-paying or not paying. By the end of the month you as an ‘educated pauper’ are actually living from hands to mouth like a blind shrew

I asked him why Bricklaying of all jobs,

‘I taught professionally as a school Teacher with both my NCE and Degree Certificates for over 20 years yet I have nothing to show for it but since almost 3 years now that I’ve fully embrace Bricklaying things have been more than better. God has been too faithful to me and by His Grace by December I will be moving into my own cosy and comfy house at Atan in Ogun State. What I couldn’t achieve for more than 20 years as a Teacher I’ve been able to do so in less than 3 years as a Mason. If reincarnation is true then, in my next life I would choose Bricklaying over Teaching over and over again.’ ADIO said.

Personally I think its an insult for someone earning less than 150k to be wearing tie to work.

Abudu2000:
Personally I think its an insult for someone earning less than 150k to be wearing tie to work.

I wonder oh ...



The government wants teachers to dress well...



Speak well.....


Be extra intelligent.....


Have good sense of humor...


Yet pays them meager salaries....


How then will they perform effectively and give the best? What platform is set for teachers to learn and earn more certificates?