Teachers and the Nigerian Society.

First, we want to take the meaning of teacher as”someone whose job is to teach, especially in a school either primary, high school or University. We find principal, headmaster at the upper echelon within the School Community. We also have lecturer as someone that teaches in a University, while a professor is a high ranking University teacher especially one who is departmental head or professor of a particular field. Without teachers, no students and without students, no society. Be that as it may, teachers are image makers, for they nurture students from the position of nobody to become somebody in the Society. No one has not tasted the services of teachers either dead or alive. Teachers can also be seen as trainers that train the trainees. In Nigeria, we have three tiers system of Education, primary, Secondary and University. Those handling the teaching Subjects have passed through University Education. They are hard working moving from class to class only to jaw-jaw. However, the role of government in encouraging teachers is zero percent. The Society sees teachers as enemies. The reasons are(1) They don’t embezzle (2) Those who embezzle money see teachers as idiots (3) Students they taught came to be highly positioned, but see their teachers as enemies. This could mean orientation from their parents by discouraging them from teaching profession without money. It is highly painful to teach a student and only to see you as an enemy, because he is higher than you in the society, whereas you made him or her what he or she is. Though, their parents fend for them. I wouldn’t know anybody here in Nigeria who did not pass through a teacher in the three tier system of Education. Whether you as Doctors, Governors, Senators, Parliamentarian, Ambassadors,Engineers, Secretaries, Deputy Governors, Lawyers, Judges etcetera. However,some of them are grateful to their teachers, though negligible. Even market women and business people, they all passed through teachers, but bite the fingers that fed them. Thank God for late Governor Adefarati who saw teachers as important in the Society and made some of them permanent Secretaries embedded in the official gazette, while some named them tutors general without putting it in the gazette, meaning temporary recognition. Adefarati was a teacher who retired as a principal. This means others who are not teachers see them as enemies. Therefore, what is their offence? (1) Is it because they did not go to School to learn? (2) Is it because they can’t embezzle? (3) Is it because they are prone to audit? (4) Is it because they are not Nigerians? (5) Is it because they are dutiful and they will never be absent from their duty posts? (6) Is it because they respect constitutional authorities Governor, Commissioner, Permanent Secretary that supervise them externally? (7) Is it because they are responsive to their duties? All these deserve answers. The government should pay them good salary, because they jaw-jaw from 8 am to 2 pm non stop teaching the students from class to class. Cruelty is discouraging those who are hard working. Make them professionals. The Slogan is No teachers, no egalitarian society. If you can write your name,thank your teacher. God bless Nigeria, God bless teachers the image makers.