The findings revealed in the latest report from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) are deeply troubling.
According to the 2022-2023 UBEC National Personnel Audit, Nigeria is facing a severe shortage of primary school teachers, with a deficit of nearly 195,000 teachers across the country’s public primary schools.
This alarming dearth of qualified educators at the foundational level of our education system is a crisis that demands urgent, comprehensive action from all levels of government and education stakeholders.
At the heart of this crisis are the stark disparities uncovered by the UBEC report. While the early childhood care and development education (ECCDE) and junior secondary school levels appear to have an excess of teachers, the primary school level is severely understaffed.Certain rural primary schools have as few as two or three teachers serving entire student populations.
This skewed distribution is symptomatic of deeper systemic problems that have long plagued Nigeria’s education sector.The report rightly notes that this inadequate supply of teachers at the primary level is a key contributor to the broader learning poverty afflicting basic education in Nigeria.
In the considered opinion of this newspaper, without a sufficient number of qualified, dedicated educators to nurture young minds and impart essential knowledge and skills, how can we expect our children to thrive and develop into the leaders of tomorrow? The future of our nation quite literally depends on addressing this crisis.
Sadly, the factors underlying this teacher shortage are all too familiar. Many state governments have simply not recruited new teachers for years, allowing attrition through retirement and other means to erode the teaching workforce.
This, combined with the ongoing “japa” syndrome that sees talented teachers leaving the profession for greener pastures, has created a perfect storm of understaffing.
The poor welfare and working conditions of teachers in Nigeria have long been a source of frustration, driving away many qualified individuals from entering and remaining in the teaching field.
The concerns raised by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) president, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, underscore the gravity of the situation.
He rightly asserts that effective teaching and learning cannot occur where there is a severe shortage of teachers.Education is the bedrock of societal progress and economic prosperity, and teachers are the linchpin of this foundational pillar.
They are not mere instructors but mentors, guides, and nurturers of young minds – the very individuals entrusted with shaping the future leaders of our nation.
It is unacceptable that Nigeria, a country with such vast potential, continues to grapple with the scourge of over 12 million out-of-school children, even as our primary schools face a crippling lack of teachers.
How can we hope to provide quality education and reduce this alarming statistic when our schools are chronically understaffed?
The time for half-measures and empty promises has long passed.
Decisive action is needed to address this crisis head-on.
Fortunately, the blueprint for revitalizing the teaching profession in Nigeria already exists. In 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled a comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at boosting the status and attractiveness of the teaching profession.
These included the introduction of a special salary scale for basic and secondary school teachers, increased retirement age and years of service, and the provision of bursaries, stipends, and automatic employment for students studying education courses.
Regrettably, many of these well-intentioned initiatives have yet to be fully implemented, leaving the teaching profession in a continued state of neglect and disarray.
This is a travesty that must be remedied with utmost urgency.We call on the current administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to prioritize the swift and comprehensive implementation of the Buhari-era policies and incentives aimed at revitalizing the teaching profession.
Beyond this, state governments must also shoulder their fair share of responsibility. They must urgently embark on aggressive teacher recruitment drives to fill the gaping vacancies in primary schools, especially in rural and underserved areas.
Concerted efforts must be made to improve the welfare and working conditions of teachers, ensuring that the profession is seen as a viable and attractive career path for the best and brightest minds.
The dearth of primary school teachers in Nigeria is a crisis that can no longer be ignored. It is a problem that strikes at the heart of the country’s efforts to provide quality education for all and break the cycle of poverty and inequality.
The time has come for the government, in collaboration with stakeholders, to take decisive action to address this crisis and ensure that every Nigerian child has access to the education they deserve.
The future of Nigeria’s children, and indeed, the nation’s future, depends on the success of this endeavor. By investing in the primary education sector and empowering our teachers, we can unlock the immense potential of our young people and pave the way for a brighter, more prosperous Nigeria.
The time to act is now, and we call upon the government and all stakeholders to rise to the occasion and meet this challenge head-on.
