Educationists, Dr Oyinlola Ilo, has bemoaned the poor remunerations of teachers in the country. ” the lack of good welfare for educators is contributing to brain drain in the sector.”
She is raising the alarm over the shortage of professional teachers in the sector, noting that many teachers are now crossing over in search of a greener pasture.
While lamenting the dearth of the teaching profession, Dr. Ilo emphasized that many countries are now searching for teachers to fill the gap in their countries.
“They are looking for teachers, and almost all of our teachers have gone,” in a statement made available to journalists this week quoted her as saying so.
Tracing some of the reasons teachers are leaving for overseas jobs, she said, “To start with, what do we pay the teachers? Stipends, even though the exchange rate keeps rising daily. Meanwhile, we all go to the same market. However, unless you get a government job, you can’t really survive the harsh economy.”
The school administrator, called on government to encourage more students into the teaching profession. She said the sector was already lacking teachers.
“Parents do not want to pay for their children’s education, so how are the teachers going to be paid? The teachers have to be paid from the student’s school fees. I don’t think teachers are getting a quarter of what doctors are receiving. Even front desk receptionists earn more than teachers.
She advised that government can encourage teachers by giving incentives. “It is the same market that teachers, doctors, lawyers and other professions go to” Dr. Ilo added.
Educationist decries poor teachers’ remuneration
Educationist, Dr Oyinlola Ilo, has bemoaned the poor remunerations of teachers in the country. ” the lack of good welfare for educators is contributing to brain drain in the sector.”
She is raising the alarm over the shortage of professional teachers in the sector, noting that many teachers are now crossing over in search of a greener pasture.
While lamenting the dearth of the teaching profession, Dr. Ilo emphasized that many countries are now searching for teachers to fill the gap in their countries.
“They are looking for teachers, and almost all of our teachers have gone,” in a statement made available to journalists this week quoted her as saying so.
Tracing some of the reasons teachers are leaving for overseas jobs, she said, “To start with, what do we pay the teachers? Stipends, even though the exchange rate keeps rising daily. Meanwhile, we all go to the same market. However, unless you get a government job, you can’t really survive the harsh economy”.
The school administrator, called on government to encourage more students into the teaching profession. She said the sector was already lacking teachers.
“Parents do not want to pay for their children’s education, so how are the teachers going to be paid? The teachers have to be paid from the student’s school fees. I don’t think teachers are getting a quarter of what doctors are receiving. Even front desk receptionists earn more than teachers.
She advised that government can encourage teachers by giving incentives. “It is the same market that teachers, doctors, lawyers and other professions go to” Dr. Ilo added.
President Mohammadu Buhari on the occasion of the 2020 World Teachers day promised a range of incentives for teachers.
Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, earlier this year stated that teachers would begin to enjoy the new salary structure promised by the President from January 2022.
Unfortunately that has not happen. “The President has approved the enhanced salary structure and we will finish it very soon. The President specifically approved that it should take effect from 2022” read the Minister’s statement.
Other incentives promised were allowances, housing, training, the elongation of service year from 35 to 40.
But with less than seven months left for the administration of President Buhari to stay in power, there is little or no hope that the problems in the education sector will end anytime soon.
