By Richardson Ogwezzy
It is an indisputable fact that education is the bedrock of any nation and the teachers serve as the hub for the success of education. That is why it is commonly said that no nation can develop beyond the level of her teachers, hence no teacher, no nation.
The effectiveness of teachers depends on the level of knowledge and skills acquired and the extent at which the government contributes to enhance their job performance. Almost all the tiers of government in charge of development of teachers are showing lackadaisical attitude towards improving working conditions of teachers, despite their relevance to nation’s building.
President Muhammadu Buhari on the last Teachers’ Day, observed the importance and plight of teachers in the country, approved a special salary scale for teachers, elongated their years of service and many more benefits too numerous to mention.
In a similar vein, the Delta State government recently organised an induction to all newly employed teachers in the State. Induction is usually a prerequisite for every newly employed member of staff in any organisation to enable them successfully get adjusted and fitted to the work environment. Induction is very relevant to newly employed teachers anywhere in the world.. The purpose of induction is to make teachers easily adjust and adapt to the school environment mostly and to enable them discharge their duties (functions) with ease and enthusiasm. Induction such as this, is given to teachers to increase their knowledge and skills, create room for positive attitude to work, improve teachers’ morale, increase educational productivity and the end result is high students’ academic achievements and subsequent good quality education. This lofty purpose has gone oblivion for decades in Nigeria educational sector, even when it was done, it was shabbily and skeletally organised just to fulfill all righteousness.
The government of Delta State on 7th and 8th of October, 2020, in an attempt to reinvigorate the secondary educational system, organised a holistic, overwhelming and an overhauling induction to her newly employed teachers, that shows to a very considerable degree the love the present government has for education.
A lot of inductees confessed that the programme gave them good insight towards the teaching job and it has not only added more knowledge to them, but has given them confidence, zeal and sense of belonging to the noble profession. Ukala P, an inductee from Girls’ Secondary School, Kwale, said, is a welcome development and programmes like that should be continuously organised so that teachers in the State will be well informed, two anonymous said teachers that were not inducted lack some basic ingredients and have not started, because the programme is an educationally life changing.
Do you know that despite the relevance of teachers’ induction, no teacher presently teaching in Delta State could clearly remember whether he or she was inducted or not, those that could remember something like that, observed that this type is superb. I have been a teacher for over a decade, I was not given induction, neither ever heard nor seen a teacher been inducted. God will save our educational system.
In the light of the above, I have to highly commend the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Sen (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa for seeing the need to reposition teachers in the world of work for effective service delivery. The Commissioner for Education (Basic and Secondary Schools), Hon. Patrick Ukah, stakeholders of education in the State have you in their indelible good book. The success of this induction is based on your good offices and you are highly commended. The resource persons that participated in the exercise, your excellent and wonderful performance is unarguably worthy to be praised. And the Inductees, I equally pray you to avail yourself of the opportunity, by proving your wealth of experience in your various schools.
Lastly, I pray His Excellency Sen (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, to extend his good gestures by providing avenues for other teachers in the schools to attend similar programmes like orientation programmes, seminars, conferences, workshops and provide an enabling environment for teachers in the State to study to any length with government adequate government support. Apart from this, teachers development programmes should be routinely done to ensure continued teachers” good performance. Furthermore, it will enable teachers to be more equipped and committed to do their job in achieving nation’s educational goals, most especially now that Nigerian academic work has been negatively affected by Covid-19.
Richardson Ogwezzy is teaching at Girls” Secondary School, Kwale
