SIR: The saying that “teachers’ reward is in heaven” may explain why anybody who chooses the teaching profession must have made up his mind to live in penury or at best remain a low income earner.
It is very sad to note that the education sector is one that offers practitioners low incentives and compensation when compared with other sectors like oil and gas, banking, telecoms etc. No wonder why many are no longer interested in teaching as a profession. Majority of young graduates in the line these days are there because they find it difficult to secure jobs in well-paid sectors.
Only a few private operators of school are trying to address the problem. Even at the tertiary level, some private polytechnics and universities employ only on part time basis, a deliberate act to short-change lecturers. In fact, some will even pay a full time teacher at the end of a semester (about four months). Government-owned institutions also do this for their part-time lecturers.
What is the rationale behind paying part-time lecturers at the end of the semester when majority of the students would have paid their school fees on resumption? Are part-time lecturers exempted from settling bills and incurring other regular expenses?
A school proprietor even said that the school policy on new lecturer employment is that “work without pay for a whole semester” after which they can be considered for further employment with pay!
I appeal to school proprietors to adequately motivate their workers. They should not be made to suffer. The rot in our educational system can be tackled if those that have genuine passion for academics are motivated with better packages.
• Tunji Ajibola,
Lagos.
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