Teachers’ reward is in heaven. So goes the saying at a time. This reflected the scant incentive and neglect teachers were and are still being subjected to in the land, despite the critical roles they play in the formative and mature years of humans’ development. But it has now dawned on the nation that teachers denied of regular remuneration and good conditions of service on earth fling commitment to the dogs, preferring instead to hawk wears, groundnuts etc, during school hours to make ends meet. This development adds to the freefall now being experienced in education standards at all levels.
The Nigerian Breweries Plc (NB) has, however, joined other public-spirited corporate entities and individuals in the country that are providing succour to teachers on earth. Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, some months ago, presented a brand new Toyota Corolla car to Mr. Louis Akamaka, a Literature teacher at West End Mixed Secondary School, Asaba, the state capital. During a Literary Session held at the Government House, Asaba, earlier, some students taught by Akamaka had impressed an audience (the ex-governor inclusive) with their poem rendition. They swept Uduaghan off his feet with their performance to the extent that he promised a car gift to the teacher for doing a thorough job. He later went ahead to fulfill the promise.
So was Professor Anthony Durojaiye Ologhobo of the Department of Animal Science, University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, also honoured with a brand new KIA car by telecommunications and ICT giant, MTN, recently. Some of the students that nominated Professor Ologhobo for the surprise gift because of his diligence and commitment to his teaching job were also compensated with iPhones gifts by MTN. Another company, Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell milk, has been sponsoring an annual mathematics competition since 1998, while Cadbury Nigeria Limited pioneered the annual Bournvita Teachers Award along with the Bournvita Education Reporter of the Year Award, which ran for over five years before the company’s challenges compelled it to suspend the awards, to name just a few. Countless other philanthropists across the country have also been supporting education through granting of scholarships to talented and indigent students; educational endowments; donation of buildings vehicles and books, etc.
But the latest initiative, which promises to be the most outstanding, would be the proposed annual N50m Teacher-of-the-Year Award to be sponsored by NB’s Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund. Spokesman of the company, Kufre Ekanem, told journalists in Lagos recently that the award is on the platform of the Maltina Brand. Ekanem said it was designed to recognize, celebrate and motivate teachers in Nigeria towards quality service delivery. “Everywhere in the world, teachers play vital roles in training, coaching and determining the quality of education; and this is critical to sustainable national development’’, NB’s Human Resources Director, Victor Famuyibo, stated in addition.
NB is planning a Five-Step evaluation process of entries from all the nation’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) expected to produce state champions and national winners to be celebrated in a grand ceremony on October 5, 2015, a day set aside by the United Nations as World Teachers Day. The national winner, to be christened as Teacher-of-the-Year, will get N1m as prize money, plus another N1m to be paid into his account annually for five years.
The NB intervention is commendable and timely, especially coming up at a period when teachers and civil servants are groaning under the pains of several months of unpaid salaries in many states of the federation. In Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Imo, Ekiti, Benue, Cross River and Bauchi states, among others, teachers have had to embark on strike to press for their wages and emoluments. Even retired teachers have been having running battles accessing their pension. Whether at the primary, secondary or tertiary levels of the education hierarchy, it cannot be rightly stated that Nigerian teachers have had the best of bargains since the country’s return to democratic governance in 1999; and the education sector, especially the public sector, has been bearing the brunt. Since 1999, for instance, roughly 80 percent of candidates fail the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE), having been unable to pass English and Mathematics. While the NB initiative and others like it promise no cure-all for the protracted ailments plaguing the nation’s education sector, they would at least encourage commitment to the teaching profession and keep hope alive. NB should, however, take special cognizance of the need to ensure the transparency and credibility of the selection process, as well as the sustainability of the award.
