Today, it has become an embarrassment for one to choose teaching as a career because of how the society denigrates the status of teachers. It is a shame to many parents to see their wards imitate their teachers or they derive interest in teaching. Some parents intimidate to stop sponsoring their child’s education when they realise that the ward has chosen education as a course to study in higher institution while others do without alternative which could be imposed by financial constraints or inability of the child to make for other course. Thus, it is very difficult to find someone that willingly registers course relates to education with Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).
A teacher while delivering lesson in a class finds many students argue when he cites example with teaching as the best career for one to choose in life. Many feel being hated by the teacher when he mentions one’s name to choose teaching as a career. Precisely, teacher has no comparison to others in terms of career and giving contribution towards building a society but deliberately, a topic has been debated on that teacher is better than this and that where those that are compared to the teacher are trained and made what they are by the teacher. Children right from home are made to hate teaching but they are convinced that without teacher knowledge will not be imparted and only with teacher, one can acquire what it entails to attain his career. Therefore, parents enroll their children in a school that has good teachers to get qualitative education. When a child couldn’t show his talent, it is still his teacher is to blame likewise the falling standard of education.
Many people find themselves in teaching profession because they initially fail to make for their darling career or coincidentally they couldn’t make for any job but teaching. This becomes what always relegates and downgrades the educational system. The system is often left with incompetent and quack ones because those that fit to the profession either do without alternative or leave it for other profession if another offer shows a smiling face to them. Teaching is being embraced as the least job that one can accept with no option in life and even one accepts the offer, he will work indiligently and he will be praying for better offer to come.
The society which a teacher works hard to mould and train those that are determined to build her and he paves ways for her children to attain every position in life, is the first one to throw him out of her contents. Though it is in her belief that without the teacher, nothing will be possibly ascertained and the future of such society will undoubtedly be doomed but it treats the teacher as one who does not worth recognition and respect despite his unpayable efforts.
However, there are few people who recognise the efforts of the teacher and they are indebted to his services being rendered to society and their children but they never position him in a place which he deserves. Some parents applaud the work of teacher when he meets their demands but in any place where he could not make it or satisfy them, they forget everything good with him and all his contribution towards the society and his impacts on their children’s lives; they address him in abominable ways and even call him names. What teacher always receives for his failure in just a thing, is an insult and unfortunately sometimes, in the present of his student(s).
Consequently there was a time when I went to one house and I found the family were amidst of discussion on a packages to prepare for their children to share with their friends at a programme which was organised by their school. I heard the children mentioning the names of their teachers that they had good time with them during school days and they had been mentioning their kindness to their mother. Therefore, they requested to have a special package for them out of what was prepared for them. Unfortunately, one lady in the house opened her insulting mouth and called the teachers bad names and addressing them as ones that often willed to eat from the stuffs of their students and she accused them of extortion. As a teacher, I felt guilty and I was being embarrassed. I equally found it a slap on my face but I retained and controlled my emotion and played being deaf to what she said.
However, I felt uncomfortable, I did believe that it had been general impression about teacher and that was how he had been addressed and recommended for all that he had been doing. However a teacher makes profound effort to mould students to be what they aim to be in life, the result will never change. What teacher always holds is, those children that are going to be future leaders; they are entrusted to me and it is a responsibility shouldered upon me to train them well but he never dreams that they will help his life. All he gains towards the end of his services, is what he has made other to achieve in life and he is proud always to see that his student earns a noble position and becomes someone whom the society is proud of him and this is a pleasure earns from teaching profession.
Hitherto, the treatment which the society has been giving teacher and her respond to his services, are what irrefutably jeopardise the system of education and it causes irrectificational damages to the system which it will take a donkey years to rectify. It is not easy for one to devote his life doing what is inappreciable to those he sacrifices his every enjoyments to establish an enjoyable world for them. Teacher finds his life dangles on the rough rope on the bridge of life. Whenever society is developed, it is the energy of the teacher that is exhausted.
Sometimes, people hold that government should be the first to blame for negligence towards educational sector and neglecting the welfare of the teachers in which as the result, their lives always being in menace. But, one has to question self on, who are charged with the affairs of the government? The answer will surely be, the ones that teacher moulded from the scratch to successful stage of attainment in life.
Nevertheless, it is possible to regain the prestige and values of teacher in society when everyone believes that teaching profession is the best of all and never shall it be a moment that teacher should be irrespectively addressed in the society. It is unarguable that there are black sheep in the profession but it is the society that invites such irresponsible personalities to the profession. When society does not look down upon teaching career, the profession will be mainly for noble ones.
Malam Yazid Musa Ibrahim
From Azare
