Teachers' Voice – Nigeria - VSO

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONSThe factors that affect teachers’ motivation are grouped into six different themes on the basisof findings from focus group discussions, interviews and policy document analysis. The themesare: terms and conditions; human resource management; policy processes; schoolenvironment; students and equity; and teachers’ voice and status. Teachers explained howfactors relating to these issues have impacted on their roles. The following recommendationsare in response to the findings of the research and outline the actions needed to enhanceteachers’ motivation and morale.Terms and conditions• Federal Ministry of Education could implement the Teacher Salary Scale (TSS)• Within the necessary budget constraints, FME could evaluate pay and other possible benefits interms of adequacy, costs of living in different locations and incentives, to make a living wage.Include long-term security for long-term teachers.Human resource management• Employ enough teachers to comply with the government’s recommended pupil–teacher ratio of35:1, ensuring an adequate number of teachers per school.• Special needs schools should only employ teachers trained in special needs and the governmentneeds to provide these teachers.• Implement and monitor the execution of the TRCN’s law to employ only qualified teachers andmake the employment of unqualified teachers prosecutable by law.Policy processes• Federal and state governments, in conjunction with UBEC and SUBEBs, should ensure there aresufficient funds allocated for regular supervisions of all schools and ensure transparency andaccountability.• The NCCE should ensure CoEs do not enrol more students than acceptable in proportion totheir capacity.• Head teachers must get management training as soon as they are appointed – in both staff andschool management skills.• Stakeholders, including teachers, must be involved in education policymaking, implementationand evaluation as a responsibility as well as a right.School environment• The delivery system of school materials needs to be improved and streamlined by SUBEBs,through the setting up of regional networks for storage and distribution.• SUBEBs should insure that teachers are confident about the subjects they teach and must beassisted by the provision of ample TLMs for themselves as well as for their students• SUBEBs should provide basic facilities – including drinking water and toilets (separate toiletsfor women/girls and men/boys) – and adequate electricity; telephones; computers; the internet;and libraries must be made available to all schools at the shortest possible notice so thatteachers are retained in the profession.Students and equity• The NCCE should increase the number of CoEs delivering inclusive education training.• The FME should begin to take steps to reduce the use of corporate punishment over a period oftime until it is abolished, upholding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The NCCE andSUBEB should begin training on positive forms of discipline in the classroom.Teachers’ voice and status• The NUT should develop well-informed positions on debates about quality and relevance ofeducation as well as fighting for the betterment of teachers.7