By Richardson Ogwezzy
World Teachers’ Day or International Teachers’ Day is an international day held annually on October 5. It commemorates the signing of 1966 UNESCO/ILO recommendation concerning the status of teachers which is a standard setting instrument that addresses the status and situations of teachers all over the world. World Teachers’ Days aims to focus on appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world and to provide an avenue to consider issues related to teachers and teaching. In Nigeria context, World Teachers’ Day is just like a day set aside for the recognition of teachers on their immense contributions to world’s development, just like other workers in the world. All the days observed by the world apart from Christmas Day, Teachers’ Day which is observed by every 5th of October is the most important. This is because teachers’ roles in the world cannot be over-emphasised. The roles played by teachers are inestimable, it cut across all spheres of life. No wonder, they say no teacher, no nation. They are truly nation builders.
The teachers for examples, lay foundations for societal development, this is because they depend on the ultimate realisation of the aims of education and education is the pillar of national development and bedrock of any nation and no nation can develop beyond its level of her education, they function as builder of builders, as resource persons, they perform the key roles of developing and promoting the ideas of the society, as parents’ surrogate and building of cooperative relationship with homes of the pupils/students and establish relationship with parents just to mention but a few.
Despite the important roles played by Nigerian teachers, observations have shown that, they are not well cared for, I mean in terms of pay, conditions of service, motivation, incentives etc just like their counterparts in other sectors. The believe of Nigerian government is that teachers rewards are in Heaven, what an irony.I begin to wonder, if an individual could not make earth, how can he make Heaven? Teachers rewards must be here on Earth and in Heaven also.
It is on this background, I will use this God’s ordained World Teachers’ Day to humbly appeal to all the tiers of governments in charge of education in Nigeria to have change of attitude toward teachers’ welfare, by ensuring that teachers are well catered for, in terms of their entitlements, good conditions of service, incentives, remuneration and motivation(in terms provision of learning and infrastructural facilities, promotion of teachers as when due) like teachers in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Korea, German and USA. This is because teachers will be committed in their job when their needs and expectations are met and when there is teachers’ job commitment, it gives room to providing parts of essential foundation of good quality education, achievement of national educational goals and students’ high academic achievements.
I wish Teachers all over the World Happy Teachers’ Day Celebration
Richardson Ogwezzy is a teacher at Girls’ Secondary School, Kwale, Delta State
