Teachers: Taking The Lead For Quality Education

By Adekunle Ademoye

The event (techers’ day) is such that has to do with the sacred callings of the teaching profession. As we all know, the teaching profession, which dates back to the earliest of times, ranks as the noblest of all professions.

Apart from the noble aspect of the profession, teaching ranks in eminently salutary terms above other professions – whether in the medieval time of distant past, or the contemporary age of modernity. Indeed, we need not belabour ourselves with the task of elaborating the immensely utilitarian import of the teaching profession as the instrument of national growth and development and indeed, the foremost agent of civilization around which other professions revolve.

The invaluable utility of this noble calling can only be appreciated when it is realized that it is the profession that mould and nurture future leaders of the nations, and potential world leaders as well.

It is true that today’s experts, technocrats, erudite scholars, professors, captains of industry, corporate giants and leading figures at the commanding height of world politics and economy, were all products of one teacher or the other.

It is against this background that the existence of competent and seasoned teachers, straddling the lowest rung of primary education, to the secondary tertiary and university levels, becomes infinitely vital as an essential component of the educational system.

What the foregoing connotes is the need for leaders at every tier of governance, namely the Federal State and Local Government levels, to bring every effort to bear; to invest in sustained and intensified scheme of training and retraining of its teachers who are tools of intellectual and economic empowerment and human resource builders and moulders, who in turn drive and propel the wheel of national growth and progress.

Needless to emphasize that the foregoing should be followed up with commensurate package of incentives and remunerations aimed at boosting their morale and therefore bringing the best out of our teachers.

This is apart from providing the enabling infrastructure which are expected to complement their qualitative input, towards a maximum beneficial advantage of the pupils or students, as the case may be.

In this connection, one cannot but hasten to admonish the individual corporate leaders, especially in each local government of the state, to complement the government within the ethical framework of Corporate Social Responsibility in the drive to provide qualitative education for the teeming mass of learners.

An institutionalized official policy should be put in place to organize a special Award Day for teachers in each local government divisions of the state – during which deserving teachers, who had distinguished themselves on duty, should be honoured, not only morally, but financially and materially too.

All efforts should be brought to bear in ensuring that the award to be given out would be at least of fairly substantial value – which may include items like motor cars, handsome financial reward, scholarship grants for children of the awardee, overseas sponsorship of the awardee on further training or excursions among other forms of compensations that might be deemed appropriate.

This indeed is another vital area in which individual corporate concerns within the constituent local governments in the state, could play a meaningfully enormous role.

Deserving teachers could also be given national honours, in addition to top government appointments at the national, state, and local government levels, as the case may be.

These recommendations which indeed are highly deserving, are being made, in the belief that no sacrifice would be too much towards the enhancement of the teaching profession.

This said, it therefore becomes pertinent to emphasize that in view of the essential primacy of the teaching profession as earlier portrayed – it becomes clear that only the best is fit for the all important sphere of the teaching profession.

Indeed, gone are the days when the teaching profession was seen as a job for the dregs of the society, or a last resort, after other options might have failed.

The veracity of the foregoing is underscored in more than a few instances, in which the national newspapers had repeatedly carried lamentably saddening stories of teachers failing simple exams conducted by the educational authorities in some states of the federation.

Sad as this is, it is alien to the educational sector of Lagos State, the acknowledged premier state of the federation and the reputed state of excellence.

It is in this regard, that we give great kudos to notable pillars of inspirational leadership like Alhaji Lateef Jakande; and our indefatigable leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who laid the foundation for the salutary development today being experienced not only in the sphere of education, but in every department of the state’s affairs.

Great Kudos also goes to our present incumbent best governor in the federation, Barrister Babatunde Fashola, for his remarkable ability to build upon the exemplary foundation of his illustrious predecessors – especially in the pivotal sphere of education; among other spheres.

This is, however, not to say that there may not be  a few bad eggs. It is against this backdrop therefore, that it becomes pertinent to crave the indulgence to recommend regular general  written exams for serving teachers, among other systematically devised standard of appraisals of pragmatic efficacy – with a view to determining the continued competence of serving teachers – just as this would also serve in placing them on their toes and insure them against professional rustiness.

Gone are the days when teachers’ reward is in heaven. Teachers should rather reap their rewards here on earth, and not in heaven.

If other professionals should reap their rewards here on earth, why not teachers, whose profession stand out as the connecting pivot of other professions?

And of course, it is for this reason that I stressed earlier in passing, the need for adequate remuneration and package of incentives for our esteemed compatriots in the teaching profession, including the vitally important aspect of accelerated promotion as at when due.

It is also in keeping with the much deserved welfare policy for teachers, that I craved for greater recognition through such symbols of appreciation like Award Day and National and State honours for teachers – coupled with the recommendation to include them in executive councils at every tier of governance, which embrace the local government, state and federal level.

But even at that, we still cannot thank our teachers enough. This is to say that nothing can adequately compensate for the invaluable services of our teachers. What we can only do, is to show our appreciation.

What in effect does this boil down to? If I may venture – it boils down still to the fact that teachers’ rewards still remain largely in heaven, in view of the divine nature of their calling, which entails moulding the minds of the youth and preparing them for future challenges as leaders of tomorrow.

It is against this background that I enjoin our highly esteemed teachers, to recognize the divine nature of their calling and therefore approach their duties with patriotic dedication and devotion – in accordance with the sanctimonius injunction of President Kennedy of America – to the effect that we should think of what we could do for our nation, rather than what the nation could do for us.

Our teachers should be more focused. They should not see the teaching profession as a stop gap or temporary breathing space towards an ultimate plum job in blue chip corporate concerns.

Teachers should not superimpose their private affairs or private tutorial engagements over their main official duties.

Our esteemed teachers should also set a good moral example for their students/pupils to emulate. This is to say that their personal moral code should inspire the youths, whose mind they mould – in the positive sense of it.

Against this background, they should bring every force of character to bear, in eschewing such corruptive syndromes like sex for marks, or collecting one form of gratification or the other, as criteria for awarding a pass mark to their students/pupils.

Teachers should engage the students effectively, not only at school, but also with adequate homework to occupy them at home – while no effort should be spared in supervising their students works meticulously.

All efforts should also be made to expose teachers to the latest trend and standard, in their respective subjects of specialization, so as to put them on competent pedestal to impart quality education to their students.

Teachers should also be given considerable latitude on matters of discipline. Instances in which teachers are gagged or even at times, rough handled by ill-tempered parents, for subjecting their children to discipline, should be a thing of the past.

Rather, a sustained and intensified co-operation should exist between the parents on one hand, and teachers on the other hand, towards the moral and academic progress of the students.

Allow me to seize this opportunity to express my profound appreciation to our highly esteemed crop of teachers in Lagos State, and Mainland Local Government in particular. We are indeed proud of you. We give you great kudos. May your shadow never grow less.

It is my prayer that the Almighty God above, will increase you in strength, wisdom and inspiration to continue to steer the educational sector of the state and Mainland Local Government in particular, to greater heights.

•Ademoye, former chairman Housing Committee Lagos State House of Assembly, delivered this speech during the 2013 edition of the Annual World Teachers’ Day celebration held recently.