By Tonie Iredia

Until a few months ago, the topical issue in my State – Edo – usually centred on the beautification of major towns in the State.  The story-line appears to have changed as a new topic has since taken over. These days, the matter of the moment is the directive of the State Government to teachers to produce their primary school certificates.

So, what makes the directive so significant? Should a teacher – a person who is trained to train others – find it hard to produce evidence of his qualification? Any analyst who thinks the issue is a simple one would no doubt be amazed to hear stories of how Edo teachers have some time now been running from ‘pillar to post’ in search of their basic certificates. If so, how were they in the first instance assessed, appointed and placed on their respective salary grade levels?

The stories on the certificate issue are numerous. To some teachers, the issue is no more than political vendetta because in their own view, many teachers were not well disposed to the re-election bid of the Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in the July 14, 2012 Governorship elections in the State. That sounds incredible considering that the Governor reportedly won the election in all the local government areas in the State including the traditional strong-holds of the opposition.

Oshiomhole…taking his time

Would it not be absurd for him to seek to penalize the few persons who may not have voted for him?  To this question, there is a rather humorous answer by one teacher who alleges that the Governor himself has no genuine academic qualification hence he evolved the current operation show your certificate to prove that even teachers are not better than him. If not, why, the teacher asked, is the Governor more interested in the primary school certificates of teachers who are mostly National Certificate of Education (NCE) holders and university graduates?

Another teacher complained that many of his colleagues have no rest of mind these days as the Governor and his Commissioners now operate like spies monitoring the movement of teachers so as to dismiss them with the slightest excuse. Interestingly, the rat and cat game between the teachers and their Governor appears to be a good omen because it has served as a wake-up call for teachers in our public schools to become more alive to their responsibilities. Oh yes, for longer than makes sense, many teachers have shown crass irresponsibility in their general disposition; acting as teachers by profession and as entrepreneurs by occupation.

While many have trading companies to which they devote utmost attention, others are occasionally in school mainly to hawk their wares. Indeed, some of our teachers live abroad. Thus, the allegation of political vendetta is hard for me to comprehend just as I never understood my brother, Igodomigodo’s “delicate equipoise between the unfolding centrifugal and centripetal socio-political proclivities” in our State.

In any case, if any teacher who has been sacked attributes it to his refusal to vote for the Governor; he still deserves ample blame for creating the loophole for the sack by not having a certificate or by being irregular at work. This verdict would however change when there is evidence that some teachers who were similarly found wanting were spared because they are supporters of the ruling political party. Until then, our teachers must become more dedicated and result-oriented.

On this score, we commend those teachers who have not been found wanting and urge them to encourage their deviant colleagues to purge themselves of idle talks and go back to the classrooms to teach our children. Teachers and indeed all professionals have a duty to give back to a society from which they have made gains. In earnest, they need to appreciate that they are educated because their own teachers did not derelict in their duties.

Accordingly, the Edo State Government must go beyond perusing certificates and marking attendance registers; that alone cannot rescue our decaying school system. One visible challenge which stares our education managers in the face is the abandonment of appropriate supervision which in the past, was premised on close marking of school performances. Unfortunately, many States and even the federal government have for awhile left substance in pursuit of shadows like ‘education summits’ where the ills of our school system are subjected to unending debates without action. Edo must shun such wasteful talk-shops and deal with the core of its dilemma.

Consequently, it must as a matter of urgency, revamp the Inspectorate Division of its Ministry of Education to systematically monitor our schools. As few as 20 well trained inspectors can visit 400 schools in one month with one inspector visiting one school a day and 5 schools a week. The workings of the Inspectorate must be well organized with an inspector’s manual into which a check list to guide the inspectors should be incorporated. The goal should be to weed out unqualified and non-performing teachers; return the high standards of education of old to our schools and ensure that our teachers earn rather than receive salaries.

At the same time, society must always remember that a citizen, who is expected to do a first class job, deserves a first class ticket. To this end, Edo State needs to stimulate job satisfaction in the teaching profession. Our teachers should no longer be subordinated to their colleagues in the civil service. They too deserve to enjoy regular promotions and rise up to the highest levels. It is therefore unnecessary to elevate a teacher to the position of a permanent secretary; instead, every principal of a ‘Grade A’ school should enjoy all the privileges of a permanent secretary including salary for life.

In view of the special role of education in national development, government should as a matter of deliberate policy organize other packages of motivation for teachers. Lagos State for instance, has an Annual Education Merit Award to honour teachers who distinguish themselves in their jobs.  Last year, the event was celebrated with two brand new cars which were presented to the Best Teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the state. Edo should emulate this. Irrespective of who wins elections in the State, every teacher should teach well.