By AdeKunle Gazali and Omolara Oyewole
Who is a Teacher? A teacher is an individual who impacts knowledge to the lives of young ones. This can be done in a formal setting that is in the four walls of a classroom and can sometimes go beyond the four walls of a classroom which is an informal setting. A teacher prepares an individual for what is to come, he/she prepares a child for the success ahead, equips such a child on how to go about challenges when they arise and also prepares the child on how to take responsibility.
Professionally, teachers take it upon themselves to sharpen the lives of the young ones and further train them to become great future leaders and useful assets to the society at large. Teaching profession is a sensitive one because it is what a child learns today, he takes around and lives by tomorrow. Irrespective of the setting of an environment, a teacher remains a teacher but those who do their work diligently and raise great children beyond the four walls of the classroom are great teachers indeed.
The importance of this profession cannot be over emphasized because these are the people who spend major and quality time with children and so they have great influence on what a child tends to become in the future. Teachers also carry out parental duties in the lives of the young ones, they ensure that everything is going on well with a child academically and in other areas and once there are lapses in any area at all, they attend to it immediately because they know that delay may be dangerous.
Although, most teachers impact knowledge and values to the young child in the formal setting, and this sometimes goes beyond the four walls of the classroom because learning never ends. Teachers have close contacts with the students because they mostly spend the major part of their time together. Parents should therefore find a way to make things easier for the teachers by supporting them and not disregard the teachers’ effort.
In our society today, teachers are looked down on and are disregarded, even the teaching profession is seen as one that is meant for the hungry ones and this alone can discourage teachers who are willing and ready to impact the lives of the young ones positively. Motivation and appreciation from our society will greatly inspire every teacher out there and this will always serve as a reminder that their efforts are being appreciated.
As we all know that teachers are indispensable individuals whose impact in nation building through impartation of knowledge and transfer of societal norms can not be overlooked. They prepare every young one for the great future that is ahead. The teaching profession is one that will continue to exist on the planet earth. Teachers can only retire but the profession never retires, Teachers can only retire but the impact made lives on. Every teacher needs to be seen as a hero who passes knowledge, and not just an individual begging for survival.
In order to honour and appreciate the efforts, dedication and commitment of teachers in the development of community, state and world at large, brought about the October 5 World Teachers’ Day celebration.
The World Teachers’ Day is an annual celebration which is usually done on every October 5th to celebrate and appreciate the efforts and role of every teacher in shaping and reshaping the world.
The World Teachers’ Day was established in 1996 following the recommendations of the International Labour Organization(ILO)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which unanimously adopted a special Intergovernmental Conference of Ministers of Education of member nations in Paris on 5th October, 1996.
The World Teachers’ Day was officially inaugurated by UNESCO at the 44th Session of the International Conference on Education in Geneva on 5th October, 1994. It is a day set aside to celebrate the impact made by teachers and how they are involved in transforming the educational system. It is also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their potentials, vocation and to rethink of a way to globally improve the profession.
In the light of celebrating teachers around the world, relevant stakeholders must be ready to get involved in ensuring that necessary tools that will aid in discharging duty are provided for teachers so that learning is not interrupted. There should be a proper guarantee for a good and conducive working condition for every teacher because without a good working condition, knowledge cannot be properly impacted. Teachers should also be given the opportunities professionally to develop themselves which can be through seminars, symposium, training and conferences. Once a platform like this is created, it gives every teacher the opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge for effectiveness and efficient service delivery.
Since education is one important key to development and the pillar in which every other sector rests on, hence the government and stakeholders must ensure that the needs of the teachers in the profession in Nigeria are met. This will go a long way in the achievement and development of the nation. Grooming, training, growth and development of teachers should not only be limited to the teachers themselves, rather governments, parents, guardians and every other stakeholder must see it as their responsibility to ensure that teachers are not looked down on because without them, there would not be other professions. They shape the people, they shape the community and in all, they build the nation.
As Nigerian teachers joined their counterparts all over the world to celebrate the annual World Teachers’ Day, the President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Audu Amba, reiterated their demand to the state governors to follow the path of honour, and in line with the federal government policy to stabilize the system by granting and harmonizing the retirement age of teachers.
According to his message to commemorate this year’s celebration, “our key demand is to see how the state governors can grant and harmonize the retirement age of teachers in line with the federal government. We felt that teachers are retiring without commiserate replacement, we felt that teachers are retiring when their services are needed, and those that are retired are most experience that we have on board
So, we are demanding that the retirement age of teachers should be granted from 35 to 40 years in service, and from 60 to 65 years of age. If this is graciously granted, it will go a long way to stabilize the system for the benefit of the children of the country.”
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