BEYOND THE CLASSROOM; THE COST OF BEING A TEACHER IN NIGERIA

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An average Nigerian teacher didn't want to be a teacher. Circumstances pushed a lot into the teaching profession. Those that are trained got into the faculty of education because they have tried for so many years to get admitted to study their preferred course to no avail and they refused to waste away so they had to go for any course to save time.

There are others who couldn't get jobs relating to their field of study so teaching came in handy.

Teaching seems to be like a dumpster in Nigeria, anybody just crashes in. Whether trained or not, passionate or not, they're just there.

It's hard to find a child who would say he/she wants to become a teacher. That'll be one in a 100. If you tell a child he'll be a great teacher he rejects it like you're placing a curse on him.

Teachers are the least paid in Nigeria both in government owned and private schools. That of private schools is worse.
Yet these men and women have wives and kids to cater for and bills staring them in their faces.
What do you think of a teacher who receives #300 000 per annum?

Probably we've forgotten that teachers have lives beyond the classroom, hence the pay.

On the part of the government facilities are not enough where there are facilities and some schools don't have at all. Then there's hardly in-service training with meagre salary. The teachers are expected to be effective and give their best.
How?

There was a time in my state that government teachers received half salary for over one year.

My people will say ## only a joyful heart will be motivated to do more.

However there seem to be a worse case in private schools. Not all the private schools have the required facilities to start a school but they still get their schools approved anyway and they treat their teachers to sumptuous sufferings.

I taught in a school where the pay is less than thirty thousand, it's not even close to the minimum wage. It was a low class private school but the school fees are still averagely high.
The amusing part is when we complain to the person in charge about the low salary, we'd hear the sermon; money is not everything, you're doing the Lord's work, little with peace of mind is fine and so on.
During months when there is no pay, she would come and make jest of us. She'll be like you didn't greet me well today, is it because we've not paid for last month?

There were a number of youths who left the school as soon as they got employed because they were tired of doing the Lord's work with hungry stomach.

Moreover, I left to go for a bigger private school with better pay, facilities and all. The issue there was we'd have to work for the money were receiving. We go to work and come back whenever the owner says so. There was no closing time. Being a school where the top class citizens take their children, the teachers have no say. Parents sometimes abuse and curse the teachers with the notion that they are the ones feeding us.

Moreover, teaching requires that the teacher is with a sound mind and a joyful spirit. Teachers are maltreated in every angle - the least paid, talked down on yet more is require from them.
A lot of teachers give 75% of their attention to side hustles that'll pay the bills after the salary is exhausted in the first week of the month. They go to class mentally drained.

It's high time we treated the teachers well and give them the respect, honour and the payment they deserve.

I am hopeful that better days are just around the corner.

If you have seen a joyful teacher in Nigeria, it's the joy of the Lord 😆😆