TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Professionalism in the teaching discipline is diversely considered. Many people have the viewpoint that professionals are of high status in society, an example being lawyers. We must acknowledge the responsibility teachers hold in the profession and identify their roles as professionals, deserving. There is this common criticism, that teaching is a pseudo profession, could this be true, as teachers are considered the lowest rungs of our academic ladder. Thus, this paper presents the factors that lead to the criticism of teaching profession as being a pseudo profession also the means and ways of which teaching in Nigeria can be made to be a more respected profession as the legal medical profession

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION

Teaching is goal oriented and made up of a number of activities designed with the intention that somebody should be learning what is being taught. From this statement, obviously, teaching is probable to be accompanied by learning and must be directed at a specific audience. This may be view of Crawford & De Cecco in Seweje (2017) when they related theories of teaching to that of theories of learning in that the acts (i.e. teaching) of the teacher are the cause while the accompanied learning outcomes of the students constitute the effect. Learning can therefore be defined as a series of goal-oriented activities engaged in by the teacher that involve interaction between the teacher and the learners with a view to impact knowledge.

Nevertheless, Fafunwa (1974) defined education as what each generation gives to its younger ones, which makes them to develop attitudes, abilities, skills and other behaviours which are of positive value to the society in which they live. Perhaps, that was why Ogunojemite (2010) concluded that education is the bringing up or development of the individual child through acceptable methods and techniques, according to his abilities and interests and the needs of the society, to take his rightful place and contribute to the growth of the society. To achieve this laudable purpose of education, the role of teaching is crucial. Teaching is the major channel through which a child can be informed (through various methods and techniques) about the needs of his society and be actively involved in such society.

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

The circumstances of teaching in Nigeria give the impressions not taking its lawful position. An purpose consideration of the condition of teaching as a career in the country Nigeria would really subject one to a doubting mind whether or not, teaching is a profession.

The condition of service given to the teachers seems not commensurate with what is applicable to other professional practitioners. This has to do with financial benefits and other non-financial emoluments. The government attitudes to issues that pertain to teachers and teaching processes are not encouraging. The society which they purport to serve is neither friendly with them. This is evident in the way they respond to teachers’ yearnings and aspirations.

Modest or no kudos is accorded teaching is Nigeria. Oftentimes, when secondary schools students are asked of their desired career, hardly could any be found to desire becoming a teacher. They would rather prefer other careers which they considered to be professional like Medicine, Engineering, Accountancy, Banking and Finance, Marketing, Law and the like, based on their acceptability in the society. This presumes that they do not see teaching as a major profession like others.

The largest part of the students who are in the Faculty of Education found themselves there just to gain admission into the University, without genuine interest in the education course they are pursuing. Close observation and interaction with the students seem to reveal that the female students in the Faculty of Education fare better than their male counterpart in their view about teaching as a profession in Nigeria.

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

Perchance this is so because they consider themselves not as a major supplier of domestic provisions on the assumption that when they marry, their husband would take good care of them.

FACTORS THAT MAKES TEACHING A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

FACTOR 1: Teaching is Reminiscent of an Assembly Line

To start with, teaching is reminiscent of an assembly line.  Kids in desks, at tables, dutifully producing, or not. Numbers come in, numbers go out. Next sequence, same pattern.  Next year, same routine.  Do this enough times and it becomes just that–a routine.  This is why many veteran teachers leave at the end of the day with nothing in their hands.  This is particularly true in the upper grades.  They’ve automated their daily assembly.  There are those that will work extra hours at home, and lose sleep for the “fatherland.”

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

FACTOR 2: Teaching is based on a Socialist Model in Nigeria

A second reason that teaching is not a profession is that it is based on a socialist model.  We toss around terms like “правда,” (pravda: truth) when essentially what is meant by the terms is “известия,” (izvestiya: delivered messages or propaganda).  We even train the masses in programs such as Social-Emotional Learning, Restorative Practices, and the like, so that everyone is the same.  This is an example of an assembly line approach that promises a better product.

Terms such as equity imply something for everyone, and the aim is that everyone has to realize success by being produced, I mean graduating.  If some of the quality of the product is inferior, then the lack of quality is accommodated for and the product still hits the market. There is no warranty.  There is no guarantee.  Just keep the assembly line moving.  We must produce!

The assembly line must keep moving or the  “бюрократы” (burokrati: state bureaucrats) come down and can punish if one or more students/groups are not treated the same, given the same outcomes, even in the face of similar opportunities.  Everyone must have equity. The product must be produced.  Find a way to produce–even if the product is inferio

FACTOR3: Teaching is the “White Coat Test.” In Nigeria

A third reason teaching is not a profession, is the “white coat test.” Teachers do not see clients, take appointments, put a sign on their doors, hand out a shingle, or even cancel classes due to an emergency.  There are no scripted plans left for a substitute on the assembly line.

Teachers cannot bill students and families for extra time working on their behalves.  There is that socialist system again.  Want more money?  Come back next year and get in the same assembly line on a schedule.  Older teachers often make more money, if they are healthy enough to work, been faithful to one school or district, and have been around for many years.  The fatherland appreciates those who first signed on with the “большая партия” (bolshaya partiya:  Large Party)   Geeze, if I was paid an incentive to raise test scores, like some baseball manager is paid for winning 100 games, then maybe I would sense a bit of a profession-in-the-making.  I was paid to make widgets and some was the next teacher.

FACTOR 4: The Salary Structure

A fourth reason that teaching is not a profession is the salary structure.  Work hard or work at crossword puzzles, a teacher will be paid the same amount.  In a profession, there are fines if a person messes up, or does not perform.  Teachers are not fined.  They are evaluated. It is as if a shop steward shows up one a given day, watches how the teachers moves his or her part of the daily assembly, and then receives a “satisfactory” for his or her efforts.  What is the heck is a “satisfactory”?  Notice the word “factory” built into the descriptor?

FACTOR 5: Teaching Profession Assessments is Like Taking Photos

One last reason for why I do not consider teaching as a profession in Nigeria, is because giving assessments is like taking photos.  Professionals take tests and then have hard data to examine, from which they can prescribe.  Many teachers know what the problems are with students, even without assessments.  Imagine a professional looking at a patient’s file, or a client’s file.  In it there is a not that states, due to a particular “issue” with this client, you must accommodate his blood test, so that it does not affect him adversely.  Also, a note might read, “due to the upbringing of a person, he should not be placed in jail, or prison after a crime.  Instead, the person must be given every opportunity to restore the wrongs committed.  I think you see the point.

WAYS AND MEANS TO MAKE TEACHING IN NIGERIA A MORE RESPECTABLE PROFESSION AS THE LEGAL AND MEDICAL PROFESSION

Society Must Come Together to Help Teachers: The society should help in appreciating the daunting task of teachers in molding the society.

“The society should help in supporting teachers because they are the ones that build the society. What is needed to improve on teaching is recognizing it as a profession.

Training and Re-training: “Teaching needs training and re-training to make it better, there is need to create the right atmosphere for the profession to thrive because there will always be demand for teachers,’’.

Teaching Profession Should be Regarded as the Mother of all Professions: The Federal Government should accord the same recognition given to other professional fields to teaching.

Teaching as the mother of all professions should not be driven to the back seat, the profession needed to be given the respect it deserves.

“Teaching is a noble profession because it is the mother of all professions. Teaching should be ranked alongside other professional fields such as Law, Engineering and Medicine among others.

“In terms of remuneration, teachers should also earn as much as their counterparts in other professions. Teachers are professionals in their own terms making the champions.

“Many of the students are interested in the teaching profession but because the profession has yet to be given its rightful recognition, they are scared.

Parents have a Role to Play: Parents should allow their children to choose careers they are comfortable with and not necessarily imposing a particular career on them which might have negative effect.

“The importance of Career Day in Brilliant Academy, Agege, is for the students to have focus on the choice of their careers. Some students do lose focus on their career of choice later due to interference from parents and peer pressure.

“Parents should allow their children to choose their career and handle their choice path. They need to make up their minds in the aspect of profession they so desire.

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

CONCLUSION

Teaching has taken some big hits in recent years, driven in great part by the education reform movement that argues, disingenuously, that ‘great teachers’ make all the difference. This position allows them to ignore the very clear effects of poverty, poor nutrition, poor health and substandard housing on a child’s achievement.

Teachers should be identified as professionals, however it is dependent on how individual teachers conduct themselves, behave and portray their personality that defines whether they are being a professional or pseudo professionals.

Teachers know the problems, but they cannot be heard over the noise of the assembly line in the factory.  In fact, the system has told them they cannot discipline certain groups of students because it makes the factory look bad.  Thus, we have come full circle “komrades.”  The factory worker can never make the factory or the product look bad–even if they both are!  Acting as a professional, or behaving to someone else’s standards, does not make one a professional, even if it does produce a better widget on occasion.

TEACHING AS A PSEUDO PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

REFERENCES

Crawford & De Cecco in Seweje (2017). Professionalizing teaching in Nigeria for effective service delivery and national development, European Journal of Social Sciences, 17(3).

Crawford D. & De Cecco (2017). The dividends, challenges and ways forward in the professionalization of teaching in Nigeria. Lead Paper Presented At The National ICT Skills

Fafunwa (1974). Agencies of education in Nigeria. In S.A. Jegede and A.A. Popoola (Ed) The Dynamics of Instruction, CUS Department. Lagos: Premier.

Ogunojemite, M. K. (2010). The psychology of learning and instruction (2 nd Ed). India Province: Itall Private.

Seweje, R.O. (2010). The teacher and the teaching profession. In R.O. Seweje and K.A. Omotayo (Ed) Professionalism in Pedagogy. Lagos: Heritage.