PROTECTING THE TEACHING PROFESSION

Teachers should be adequately provided for Today, Nigeria joins other countries to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1966 recommendation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) concerning the Status of Teachers. And the theme could not have been more apt: “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures”. Since education is, strictly speaking, not just learning but the nurturing of the human being into a responsible member of society, it is important that all stakeholders take the teaching profession and its practitioners more seriously. In that regard, we must also commend the federal government for recent policies. Concerned by the growing numbers of unqualified individuals in classrooms and the need to strengthen professionalism in the teaching sector, the federal government has directed all teachers across the country to be fully certified and licensed before the end of the 2026/2027 academic session. It will be enforced by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), ensuring that only professionally qualified educators are allowed to teach in Nigerian schools. In addition, certified teachers seeking employment opportunities outside Nigeria will be issued Letters of professional standing, to enhance their global mobility and competitiveness. Held annually on 5th October since 1994, the World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the ILO and UNESCO joint recommendation which “sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.” In recognition that the formal educational system is fed by a culture that could promote or undermine the efforts of the most hardworking of teachers, UNESCO has for a long time been advocating a collaboration between all stakeholders in the sector. Parents, the immediate and extended families, the kindred and the wider community must all work together to impart the cocktail of information, knowledge, skills and values involved in truly educating the child. In societies that value quality education, a high premium is placed on teachers who are well-remunerated. But in Nigeria, the reward system does not seem tailored to take into full account the centrality of teaching and the sacrifices of teachers. We therefore enjoin the managers of educational structures and systems in the country to pay greater attention to the overall teaching and learning process, including policies and environmental factors that inhibit proper knowledge impartation. As Nigeria therefore joins other countries to mark the 2026 World Teachers’ Day, it is important for authorities at all levels to appreciate the essence of such collaboration among teachers, schools, and education systems. This is very important in any attempt to improve teaching and learning. Without such a collaboration, it would be difficult to expand the horizon of teachers or upscale their knowledge of emerging trends in the learning environment. The right type of collaboration will drive professional growth and enhance teachers’ feeling of self-worth and job satisfaction. Going forward, collaboration among a wide spectrum of stakeholders, as envisaged by UNESCO, should go beyond teachers, schools, and education systems to the most elementary foundations of our society. Beyond improving academic teaching and learning, or promoting teachers’ professional growth, we need policies that are in sync with global trends and sensitive to our peculiar educational needs. While we congratulate teachers at every level of the educational system in Nigeria, we also affirm their importance as nation builders. We call for better conditions of service for them, and we urge all stakeholders to support them, and invest in improving their expertise. On a day such as this, we must renew our commitment to helping teachers to be better equipped for the daunting task of nurturing the young minds who represent the future of Nigeria.