Sir: Teachers from Nigeria planning to japa had better think properly about it. In any case, if teaching is not possible over there, other profitable jobs will be available if the unfit teachers are allowed to stay. Leaving Nigeria for greener pastures abroad is what almost all Nigerians look forward to and pray fervently for.
Besides, teachers in Nigeria in particular are not well treated and any opportunity for them to relocate abroad is what many of them would gleefully opt for. But quite unfortunately, there are problems most of them may not consider. The type of teaching done in Nigeria can only be accepted in Nigeria.
Most teachers never seem interested in any research or anything that can enhance their productivity. This is evident in their hatred to prepare new lesson notes every session but would rather copy the old ones. They are never known to invest in any area of expansion of knowledge especially in their subject areas and the only book they read are mostly religious ones especially the Bible.
It is in Nigeria teachers are found copying notes on the board for students directly from textbooks because they are not ready to spare their time to extract the relevant aspects. Students are therefore forced to spend hours writing notes which affects other lessons.
Here, many teachers are known to visit their personal predicament and woes on innocent children flogging them mercilessly the way they will never beat their own children, yet, they can hardly do without extorting money from the same learners even against various government warnings.
It’s here teachers will teach their students during the normal classes, organise compulsory lessons for them after the closing hours, arrange extramural coaching during the holidays, yet, upon everything still collect money to assist same students in the examination halls! All these unwholesome practices will never be accepted abroad.
Besides, foreign students are not like those in Nigeria who always appear too timid to ask questions and so, anything goes. A teacher abroad who does not know his onions will be disgraced, humiliated and intimidated in the classroom by learners.
Jide Oyewusi is coordinator, Ethics Watch International, Lagos.
