In this interview, Comrade Augustine Alex Akpaetor, an ex-Chairman of Nigeria Union Teachers (NUT), Akwa Ibom State Council, talks exhaustively about challenges and suggests ways that can enhance higher standard of education in schools.
Excerpts:
How was primary and secondary schools’ system run in your formative days?
In my time, it was either you were teaching well or you were shown the way out. It is either you were a teacher or you were not. During my time, education inspectors were sent to monitor the activities and performance of teachers including school heads. If you were not a confirmed teacher, the inspector would ask you to go out. So, we were up and doing. In my time, writing of lesson notes, continuous assessment, sporting activities, and reading culture by children were encouraged. The school system was running well.
How was the standard of education then?
The standard of education cannot be compared to now. Politics was not introduced into the school system during my time. Academic activities were at the peak. Pupils and students devoted time to reading. It was easy to know students who passed or failed examinations. Only those who passed were promoted to the next class, but now everybody is promoted at the end of the term to the next class. In my time, students devoted time to study. Those who failed examinations were asked to repeat their class, but now every child is assessed to pass examinations and is promoted to the next class.
What role did state government play in the management of schools?
Government played a very big role in the establishment and management of primary and secondary schools. Government paid teachers’ salaries, paid the school supervisors, paid other members of staff, and paid the board members, among others. But nowadays, government pays all these people, it does not play any other crucial role. Management of schools is politicised. All the appointed board members are politicians. Let government separate politics from school running.
The way out is for state government to make education a priority and give it prominence as it were in those days. The board members should be education-inclined. In my time, I was usually paid and promoted based on hard work.
How can government motivate teachers for greater productivity?
In those years, a Science teacher was paid N2 and an Agriculture teacher was paid N2. At the end of the month, I was paid additional N4 because I was a Science and Agriculture teacher. We were happy to be paid that amount as at that time. Nowadays, prices of goods and services have increased. The buying power has also increased. A little money a teacher takes to market does not afford many things. Government should not meddle in the management of schools but should supervise and allow professional teachers to run the schools for greater success.
Are teachers helping to attain standard of education?
I do not think most teachers both in primary and secondary schools cover the school syllabus nowadays because of the number of children in schools is increasing and a teacher teaches more than he is supposed to. In the secondary school category, the United Nation pegs 1:20 (teacher-students) ratio while in the primary, the ratio is 1:30 (teacher-pupils) for strict supervision and efficiency. If a teacher has 150 students or pupils in his class, he cannot effectively handle it.
Do you encourage teachers residing in the school compounds?
In our days, we as pupils were living in dormitories. Our teachers were living in the school. Today, a teacher lives in Uyo and would go to work in Ukanafun because there is no accommodation. The buildings of those days have all collapsed. Even the school that I studied before, there is no building for the staffers again. All the teachers are travelling teachers. Infrastructures and buildings are dilapidated. Government should restore those facilities for effective teaching and learning process.
What is your view on secret cultism in schools?
In our days, secret cultism did not exist but it exists now. There is need to offer free education at least to a certain limit and there is need for parents to pay some times to a certain limit. Free education has caused a massive explosion of children in schools. Free education should be relaxed a bit. Free education needs increase in teachers, more schools’ buildings and other infrastructures.
It is alleged that some schools’ heads collect illegal fees while government is paying them subventions?
Government does not pay subventions to heads of schools as usually claimed. I know of some teachers who used their money to provide some items in the schools. There are some principals who are using their money to buy chalk and other materials; and I know some who are using their money to run the schools at the end of the term no subvention whereas in my days it was not so. The Education Board would buy registers, diaries and the principals went and collected them. Continuous assessment is one of the things teachers use to grade a student’s academic performance. It is so important I don’t know if they are still doing it now.
Are extra-curricular activities and crafts still functional in schools?
Extra-curricular activities as at then were really interesting. I was playing football and the students and everyone supported the team. Government bought balls and other sporting facilities and sent to schools. In my days, children went to the bush and brought palm fronds to do brooms and weave baskets. These days, there is nothing like that. A teacher who collects money from the student instead of craft is not a teacher and any principal who endorses it is not doing well.
On School farms
In my days, we made ridges, beds and we planted yams, fluted pumpkin, waterleaf. I do not know about now. To resuscitate Agriculture for food sufficiency, the students should own and plant cassava and many other things in the school compounds. In my time, I had a ridge and bed and I weeded it consistently.
Are parents helping in the academic attainment?
Most parents are not doing well nowadays. They want their children to pass examinations at all cost. Some parents pay money to some dubious teachers to pass their children because the children don’t read. They do not read their lesson notes or ensure their wards do assignment. Some students go to school by 10 a.m. and return by 11 a.m.
On the FG’s special salary scale to teachers
The special salary scale announced by the Federal Government is very helpful. President Buhari announced a special salary scale for teachers. This looks like Teachers’ Salary Scale we have clamoured for over the years. Primary school teachers are complaining since 2013. They have not been paid their gratuity. State government should upgrade facilities in the school, buildings, laboratories, classrooms, libraries.
Ways to enhance improved standard of education
Nowadays, primary schools in the state have no library, not even one. To achieve improved academic attainment in the state, I want to suggest 1. Provision of residential buildings for teachers. Teachers should live in the school compound. 2. Government should recruit more teachers so that a teacher has a number of students he would supervise, give test, and teach well. 3. Government should provide adequate teaching/learning facilities, give sporting activities such as football, basketball, lawn tennis, table tennis, etc schools. I participated in cultural dance in my time, I bought obodom, ibit and nsak and other materials for use in traditional dance in my school. Let the state government re-introduce cultural dance competition and other sporting activities in schools to discover budding talents.
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