Education: How employing young teachers can raise learning standard

With the rising spate of unemployment, some Nigerian youth have called on government at all levels to increase the engagement of young teachers across primary schools, saying that would boost the quality of learning and basic education in the country.

The youth made the call recently at the commissioning of the rehabilitated Mazhi Universal Basic Education (UBE) Primary School in Jebba, Niger State. 

The school, which was rehabilitated by Mainstream Foundation, was also adopted for seven years under a private educational management contract the foundation entered with Stresert, an educational consultancy firm.  

To boost the quality of learning in the public school handed over by the state government for private management, the foundation recruited 10 young and qualified teachers to work with the existing public school teachers.

One of the new teachers, Mohammed Aminu who is also from Mahzi community near the Jebba, lauded the foundation for the project.

He said, “We are very happy with this because our people whose children do not have the opportunity of going to school and resorted to farming can now enrol them here.

“I am proud to be useful to my community because we lack highly qualified teachers and we are urging governments to emulate the foundation and recruit more young teachers.”

He said the teachers would perform better under strict monitoring by Stresert along with the regular trainings they are being exposed to. 

“I believe with the passion we are bringing into the job, including the public school teachers here in the school, I assure that our performance will be amazing in line with private school standard,” he added.

Another new teacher and Sociology graduate, Paulinus Jagaba, said he would work to help develop the community. 

“As a graduate, I am here to develop the Mazhi community and I hope to make my country a better place. Most of us recruited are youths and we are grateful to Mainstream Foundation for considering the youth in this job opening; others should take a cue,” Jagaba said.

On his part, Abubakar Isah Shuaibu, a new teacher from the community said the adoption of the school and the recruitment created jobs where there was none. 

He said, “I am from this community and knew how this school was when it was in shambles. As an NCE holder, I taught as a volunteer under the PTA but the foundation has transformed this school, adopted it and is committed to managing it using private experts for seven years.

“We are assuring the foundation that before the seven years of this adoption elapses, they will see changes,” he said.

Some of the old teachers could not hide their excitement at the reforms in the school. Mrs Oladele Toyin, said, “I appreciated what God has done and the board of the foundation for this feat.”

Another staff, Fatima Jiya, recalled how teachers would run for cover whenever it was raining because of the leaking roof and how they taught pupils under the tree due to lack of classrooms.

“This new environment will improve our work because before, we were not comfortable; we did not have seats and some pupils sat on the floor, the windows were without door and we taught under the tree. 

“Also a teacher takes up to three classes combined but that has been reorganized and we are happy,” Rukkayat Zakariyah, an old teacher stated.

Aisha Mohammed who has taught in the school for many years, said the pupils are excited as they now have new classes, sanitary facilities and a standard computer laboratory which most of them have not experienced before.