Teachers' Voice – Nigeria - VSO

Teachers recognise the importance of a good student–teacher relationship and wish theyexperienced this stimulus more often. However, unplanned lessons; insufficient TLMs; absentteachers; and overcrowded classrooms result in demotivated, uninterested and indifferentpupils, who are frequently excluded from the lesson when teacher-centred teachingmethodologies cause problems in the classroom.These factors, aggravated by persistent corporal punishment, build a wall between teachersand students.7.2.3 STUDENT–TEACHER INTERACTION: STAKEHOLDERS’ VIEWSStakeholders agree that a good student–teacher relationship is very important and can affectthe motivation levels of both teachers and students.They observe that the way parents treat teachers affects student–teacher relationshipssignificantly. Students witnessing parental disregard and disrespect for teachers will imitate thisattitude in the classroom.Stakeholders also agree that teachers exercising excessive corporal punishment project lack ofcontrol to the children, evoking contempt for the teacher. Children reproduce the behaviour oftheir role models.Therefore, stakeholders, too, are of the opinion that upholding pupil–teacher ratios in spacious,well-equipped and single-grade classrooms, would greatly improve student–teacherrelationships, which would ultimately lead to academic results.7.2.4 STUDENT–TEACHER INTERACTION: RECOMMENDATIONSVSO recommends the following:• SUBEBs should ensure teachers are provided with the necessary resources (education,infrastructure, TLMs and support) to meet the needs of their students.• The FME, UBEC and SUBEBs should ensure class size is limited to below the standard ratio (35pupils per teacher) or to classroom capacity. This ratio should be viewed as a maximum.• The NCCE should ensure that teacher training should include classes on counselling studentsso that teachers can deal effectively with student misbehaviour and with students’ needs.• Teachers must be provided with the necessary resources and trained in new technologies so thatthey can stimulate their students in their learning.• The government must validate extracurricular activities, eg sport, by including them in thetimetable.7.3 DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTSAs mentioned above in the section on school facilities, overpopulation of classrooms and theinsufficiency of school facilities have led to a huge increase in the use of corporal punishment.7.3.1 DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS: POLICY CONTEXTThere is no specific policy on the discipline of children.7.3.2 DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS: TEACHERS’ VIEWS“Beating is usually an expression of lack of control. Teachers cannot handle the largeheterogenic groups and this is the only way they can keep them quiet. The governmentshould abandon it otherwise it will never change. The government signed theConvention on the Rights of the Child. It should implement it.”(Head teacher)43