A very big thank you goes to President Muhammadu Buhari. You must be wondering why I am expressing gratitude, from the depth of my heart, to the president. The reason is the new lease of life for teachers in federal schools, whose remuneration has taken a positive dimension, with immediate effect. This agrees with an adage that says, ‘when a child is treated like the others, his heart gladdens.’ With the latest increment in federal teachers’ salaries, it is now obvious that they have been treated like other children in the same class, and there is a leap of joy in their hearts. There is laughter in their mouths too. So, there is reason to celebrate.
After a recent meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, the government announced new salaries for teachers in federal schools, as follows: Grade Level 07/ Assistant Education Officer (AEO) N98,000; GL 08/Education Officer (EO) N254,000; GL 09/Senior Education Officer (SEO) N271,000; GL 10 Senior Education Officer (1) N296,000; GL 12/Principal Education Officer (PEO) N321,000; GL 13/Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) N342,000; GL14 Chief Education Officer (CEO) N419,000; GL 15 Assistant Director (AD) N483,000; GL 16 Deputy Director Education (DDE) N531,000 and GL 17 Director Education (DE) N1.5m
Over the years, teachers have been neglected, relegated and trampled upon by other professionals. Teaching was seen as a profession meant for the lesser class. Little wonder when applicants are tired of roaming the streets in search of white-collar jobs, the next available flight will be into the classroom as half-baked teachers. Other professions rose far better than them in terms of salary, accomplishment and recognition. I am yet to see a teacher who was chosen the chairman at any occasion. The most they could do would be to sponsor a new couple during a wedding ceremony because of their integrity. The umbrella union of the teachers known as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has never been a strong voice to reckon with and none is afraid of their industrial action. Yet, teachers will bear their pains and crawl into their shells. For decades, they had to endure the unpleasant and appalling cliché that “teachers reward is in heaven.” What a mockery of a noble profession! But surely, the same heaven has remembered and rewarded them.
Today, teachers can begin to project for other developments like other federal workers, though the national cake has not gone round. The increment in salaries is a welcome development and marks a new dawn in their profession. Even the bones of dead teachers in the graves are dancing Shaku Shaku, because this is what teachers had clamoured for all their days, and it has been achieved.
The cheery news came on Tuesday as teachers marked their day, which soon turned into a celebration with a difference. All praises to God. For once, government stopped paying lip service to teachers’ welfare.
When people harp on the nobility of the teaching profession, it is often done with this popular quote: “A teacher is the only true friend because a lawyer hopes that one gets into trouble before he eats, the doctor hopes one falls sick, the police hope one becomes a criminal while the coffin maker wants you dead for his business to boom. It is only the teacher who educates and liberates one from the bondage of ignorance.” Even a labourer is worthy of his wages. But human perception and poor remuneration of practitioners of this noble profession seemed to thwart the hard work of real teachers, thereby demeaning the profession and leaving it in the hands of non-professionals.
I still recall what the Founder and Proprietress of Temple Schools, Ilupeju and Adeniyi Jones, Mrs. Shirley Okharedia, once told me in an interview, about an interesting encounter she had after graduation: “It was during our national service year in Edo State in the late 80s. We all arrived at the orientation camp for registration and placement for primary assignment. We filed out to face the placement officers from the NYSC Directorate, and when it got to my turn, they asked me where I wanted to contribute my quota as national youth corps member. I said I wanted to be a teacher. All the other corps members laughed at me loudly and wondered if I actually meant what I just said. One of the boys looked at me and asked, ‘With all your beauty and education, you want to be a teacher?’ I said yes, that was what I wanted. Even the NYSC officials took a second look at me because I was the first corps member that opted for the teaching profession against the choice of many others. That was what I wanted, and I have not regretted it till date.”
Teaching is a beautiful profession that cannot be waved away with the hand just because a lot of the practitioners might not be grounded. Teachers are the producers of agents that change the world. Therefore, they are worthy to be treated like other professionals in the federal service. Without them, the world would have been in darkness, miserable and uninformed. The widely held belief that teachers measure the quantity of food they need before cooking should rather be seen as a show of wisdom, but many people wrongly characterise this as evidence that teachers are stingy. Their management skill is second to none, because it is the result of insight. They should rather be commended for being resolute in living within their means. Today, I am rejoicing with teachers. I am doing so because I am the daughter of two teachers who have joined the saints. I can tell their story of economic management at its best, but we are proud of the lifestyle imbued in us by our teacher-parents. There have been teachers who are worthy, noble that have passed on the torch to the younger generation all over the world, but were poorly remunerated, especially in Nigeria.
The nobility, uprightness and integrity of teachers are second to none. Listen to what a pilot said, in honour of his teacher: “Dear Passengers, this is your Captain speaking. Today is an important day, as the pilot has a message for one special passenger, named Selahattin Onan, who is a pilot instructor, but did not know that his students had set up a long-time surprise for him.”
The pilot continued: “For six years, I have been a pilot as part of Turkish Airlines family. Much of that is due to the efforts of my teacher Sellattin Onan, a long-serving teacher who is with us on this plane today. It is a beautiful thing to be able to call your teacher a father figure. He was a captain for 20 years, and for 10 years, he was a guide to thousands of pilots, raising us like his children. I speak on behalf of his students right now in expression of our infinite gratitude and I am so eternally grateful; I am so glad that you were my teacher, Sir.” At this point, Onan broke down in tears on his seat. The pilot again said: “We first met during a flight, I was asking tons of questions, he then said to me, ‘Son, if you are this curious, why don’t you consider being a pilot.’ Happy Teachers Day, Sellattin Onan.”
His other students on the flight filed out from the back with a big beautiful rosy bouquet and planted kisses on his cheeks in appreciation while he struggled to wipe his tears of joy. What a thoughtful set of students! I am sure he was not the only teacher, but he stood out like a star.
Prof M. A Ajisafe, a retired Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) also recalled in an interview the story of one very young boy in secondary school, whose father died. His widowed and illiterate mother relied on a neighbour who was a teacher in the 60s. “At the end of every session, my mother would pack all my books and head to the teachers house to find out if I was on the right track in school because she could not read or write. That tells you the level of respect and regard accorded to teachers. Granted, not all teachers are worthy, but there was an era when almost all teachers were like Sellattin Onan.
Dear Nigerians, what is worth doing is worth doing well. Let us all acknowledge and rejoice over this great and worthy thing done for teachers. Governments have come and gone, but Buhari chose to remember teachers. Thank you, Mr President. Congratulations to all federal teachers!
