An Educationist, Mrs Folakemi Olasanya has called for the review of teachers salary across all levels to enable them deliver on quality education.
Olasanya, also the Director, Newworld Emerald International School, was speaking during the school’s 2024 End of Year Production/Graduation Ceremony in Abuja on Saturday.
She said that the neglect of teachers had contributed to the low teaching quality in schools.
The director also noted that a lot of good teachers had left the country for better opportunities and some withdrawing their service from the profession.
She appealed to the government to review the salaries of teachers to upgrade their level so they could be able to deliver with passion, quality education to the young ones.
According to her car benefits, housing benefits must be considered to uplift their status.
“In Nigeria, teachers are being looked down upon and they are not been put in the place of people that train every aspect.
“We have our teachers being the mother of all profession that we have in Nigeria but they are not giving their regards.
” In some other countries they are being paid the highest, exempted from paying taxes, they have some benefits they give to them but in Nigeria they don’t give any accolade to teachers .
“We want our country to switch and start respecting our teachers . If they are paid N500,000 as minimum wage, it is not too much because we know what is happening in the society today,” she said.
On his part, the School Support Officer, Mr Bamidele Osuntusa, urged private institutions to strengthen their involvement in transforming educational system.
Osuntusa said there was need for quality delivery in teaching and learning processes, noting that the federal government cannot do this alone but required efforts of private institutions.
“I believe Nigeria today is not a one man business. The private sector need to have a greater input in the educational system.
” We are trying to ensure that there is quality delivery in teaching and learning process that is the main objective in Nigeria today,” he said.
Speaking on the recent school collapse in Jos, killing several students, Osuntusa said the onus lied with school owners to do the right thing in safeguarding lives.
According to him, schools should not only be for profit making but ensuring that lives are impacted through our engagements.
“Government alone cannot do it, it is usually said that government don’t do business.
“Unfortunately we have bodies that regulates the establishment of private schools in Nigeria, but they are not doing the right thing.
” So I believe that is the case in Jos School building collapse, we hope that the Nigerian government will have to do what is supposed to be done so that we don’t have such an occurrence again in the future.
“Private school owners have to be passionate about it. Establishing private school is not all about business,” he said.
A parent, Rev. Paul Itodo advised the students to be focused as they journey into their new phase of lives.
“There is so much distraction today, the social media is one major distraction and parents should help children especially children who have not come to that age where they should handle such devices.
“They should moderate these devices and help these children to be able to chart a very good course of action to fulfill the purpose and plan of God for their lives,” he said.
One of the graduating students, Joseph Emmanuel who was full of joy leaving secondary school, advised his colleagues to remain determined in achieving success as they journey through.
“I am going to miss practically everything about the school because this school is such a great school.
“The school can turn anyone into anything you want to be. I will miss the teachers, students, the environment, and the aural the school gives,” he said.