Gone are the days teachers hope for a long break, August holiday which was always more than a month in duration.
Gone are the days men preferred teaching work for their wives to other jobs because it was the only job that could give them ample time to take care of their families.
Gone are the days when teachers have the whole time on earth that they own other businesses they control after school and during short breaks and holidays.
Gone are those days when schools close 1or 2 p.m and students still performed well in their academics.
The question is:
What has changed? Why all these policies?
Have all these improved education?
Every sane man must have bothered about education system in my country. The deterioration in our educational sector is a reflection of the quality of education policies the government churns out. Not the operators as they sometimes claim, but policy-makers and their poorly articulated policies.
The failure of government is not only in the power, health, or agricultural sectors, but also manifest in the educational sector. Public schools are not for the elites but for the less-privileged who cannot afford school fees.
Teachers in public schools do not exhaust the termly scheme due to poor motivation. They are not properly remunerated and that manifests in their performance. The recruitment system of teaching staff is a story of another day. Other damaging factors that had helped to promote privately owned schools are:
Poor lab facilities and equipment
Incessant strikes and boycotts by the teachers due to non-payment of salaries
Unconducive learning environment
Inadequate teaching aid
Insecurity and many more
These factors had rendered public high schools useless to the haves. The children of the rich have no need for them as attending public school is now a sign of poverty.
Ironically, our senators, representatives, governors and our president attended public schools. They were served meal in the school. They enjoyed scholarship at home and abroad. For boarders, their bedsheets were washed by minders and nannies.
I know you will not believe it.
Now they are leaders. Where is their conscience? You may kindly ask.
Today, privately owned schools are schools for the elites. They soar and prosper. They make sure they implement the curriculum carefully. They do not take for granted the learning environment, teaching aides, facilities and necessary equipment. Above all, some adopt the Western educational policies e.g abolition of capital punishment, non-repeating, not using red pen on the result sheet and others. Many take the appellation, "International School". They skyrocket the fees to prove its quality. Because that which is cheap is of less quality, and that which is expensive is of high quality. Hmm who was their economic teacher, colonial master. I am just guessing.
And with all these, they had won the interest and trust of the wealthy who boast that their children are in so so private school.
If your child is in the public primary school or public high school in Nigeria, it is because you are poor. You do not have option because you cannot afford private school fees. As for the rich, they have, they can.
How are we faring?
The afore-assertions I made are true today. I know you don't expect capitalists who have taken over school management to be mild on teacher, or have teachers as their priority. No, they can be sacrificed to keep students who pay school fees from where teachers are paid.
The teachers put a whole lot of effort to justify their pay or face sack action without notification. Teachers put 10 hours in their school every week day. They do not have holiday. Of course who will pay for that month of holiday? If you need that month salary, you should be around, if not for anything, you will be on duty.
Majority of private schools have this policy in place. It is either to satisfy their conscience for what they pay or satisfy their client, the students and their parents. So much attention and services are rendered to the students who pay huge sum as fees. And everything humanly possible must be done to break even, or better still make profit.
Capitalists have come to rescue education sector in Nigeria.
So do not talk about holiday for the workers.
Or time for any self-help project.
It is no longer job for women.
Fringe benefits are no longer available.
More work less pay has come to stay.
No thanks to government that abdicated their responsibility.
No thanks to private individuals who came with capitalist mentality to rescue.
THE END
Thanks for reading my post. Hope you find it upvotable.