Towards Effective Capacity Building For Teachers

The study sets out to create an agenda for  Government Parastatals and other Governmental agencies in the educational industry to b e proactive in capacity building of teachers. The paper condemns the current observable  trend of professional graduate teachers as not registered members of any subject and professional educational bodies in this age of globalisation,  reforms and transformation. It makes a case for a compulsory membership and attendance of such body’s conference(s) as a prerequisite requirement for promotion and appointment into headship  and directing positions in schools and offices.

Preamble

Since no education systems may rise above the quality of its teachers, teacher education shall continue to be given major emphasis in all educational planning and development. FGN 2004:39.

The teacher is the pivot to the building of any nation. The vision and mission of any society is technically translated as National Policy on Education and reduced to a curriculum in form of achievable objectives to the citizens through the formal, informal and non-formal education.

The business or task of transmuting such policies, thinking, ideas, reforms, vision and missions into a reality is the responsibility of the teacher. However, hear I am refereeing to the teacher who is academically and professionally trained, qualified and certificated; a professional that is skilled, competent and observe best practices.

Status of a Teacher/Teaching

The National Policy on Education (2004:40) stipulates that; Teacher education shall continue to take cognisance of changes… Teachers shall be regularly exposed to innovations in their profession.

The opening “statement is the government thinking and position concerning teacher education”. The government in addition to the above through Decree No 31 of May, 3rd 1993 promulgated the establishment of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), though its actualisation was delayed until the administration of Abdulsalami Abubakar came on stream. The council has powers to regulate the profession and teaching in Nigeria.

The teachers code of conduct (TRC: 2004:2) report states inter alia that one of the objectives of the teachers code of conduct (TCC) should be to, boost public confidence  in the ability of the teaching profession to regulate  itself  and to bequeath to the nation products that are capable of making maximum contribution towards the development of the state in particular and the nation in general.

The same report recognising the status, responsibilities, further education of teachers, public expectations of the teachers among others quoted the 1984 Joint International Labour Organisation/UNESCO recommendation of 196. A few of the recommendations as it relates to professionalisation, rights and responsibilities of the teacher is stated below.

* Teaching should be regarded as a profession. It is a form of public service which requires of teachers expert knowledge and specialised  skills, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing study; it calls for personal and corporate responsibility for the education and welfare of the public in their charge.

* Any system of inspection or supervision should be designed to encourage and help teachers in the performance of their professional tasks and should be such as not to   diminish the freedom, initiative and responsibilities  of teachers.

* Recognising that the status of their profession depends to a considerable  extent upon teachers themselves, all teachers should seek to achieve the highest possible standards  in all their professional work.

*In order that teachers may discharge their responsibilities, authorities should establish and regularly use recognised means of consultation with teachers organisations on such matter as educational policies, school organisation, and new developments in the education service.

* Authorities and teachers should recognise the importance of the participation of teachers, through their organisations and in other ways, in steps designed to improve the quality of the education service, in educational research, and in the development and dissemination of new improved methods.

This to me implies and demand that teachers has strong responsibilities to perform in the development of the nation through commitment, dedication and constant regulation and training and re-training in their discipline to enable them to be effective. In a simple sentence regular capacity building of teachers is the only way to meet this objective.

The teachers of today are requesting and demanding for Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) like their counterparts in other countries. Reason: they see   themselves as  professionals with specialised skills, knowledge and training in pedagogical, general education, teaching subject, curriculum,, teaching practice and other related areas. But what can today’s teacher do no matter the amount he earns if part of his income is not re-channeled into improving his capacity. Teacher’s capacity building is not the  responsibility of the employer alone but also that of the teacher to take positive measure to improve his knowledge by attending  self sponsored seminars, conferences, workshops, summits etc.

Arising from the aforesaid is the certainty that the teaching profession is an activity that involves people to assist others to learn and acquire knowledge for self actualisation and life long survival. J.M Kosemani (2001) quoting Clerk (1995) opined that “as teaching goes, so goes the nation”. We can translate this statement to mean the  extent of the capacity and competence of the teacher is the level of the nation’s development. Quod Erot Demonstrandum.

Our Teachers Challenge

Supplementary to the forgoing, explains the fact that teaching is a challenging and dynamic profession that requires constant reading, re-assessment, re-examination and re-evaluation and updating and positioning of oneself to be in tune with changing theories, policies and reforms in the educational industry.

In this connection, it is evident that innovation and change in the educational industry is inevitable; so capacity building is mandatory for any teacher in this age and now. Do today’s teachers read? Or are  teachers rusty? We may not answer these questions here. But suffice it to say that some teachers may not have picked  up any new publication(s) in the recent mean rustiness on their part as a deliberate and conscious challenge in building their individual capacities vis-à-vis nation building.

The attainment of Vision 20:2020, National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy II (NEEDS II), Education for All (EFA) the Transformational Agenda and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) requires qualified and quality teachers with high capacity profile to ensure delivery of these programmes.

Some Professional bodies

Teachers membership of professional body(s) and attendance of its conference is a sin qua non towards attainment of capacity building, effective classroom delivery, (transformation pedagogy)  professional  competence and the achievements of the  National and international developmental programmed and goals. By professional conference here, I am not referring to workshops, seminars, reference meetings, summits or retreats attended. This paper refers to summits, conferences etc. organise by professional bodies which provide platform for participants the privilege of knowing current ideas  and   join others  to discuss topical issues in their areas of discipline and also provide a platform for the attainment of “Quality Education for all Throughout Life”. Example of professional bodies includes:

* Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN)

* Economic Society of Nigeria (ESN)

* National Association of Religious Studies (NARS)

* Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN)

* Nigeria Association for Education Media and Technology (NAEMT)

* Curriculum Organisation of Nigeria (CON)

* Association for Promoting Quality Education in Nigeria (APQEN)

* Political Science Association of Nigeria (PSAN)

*Social Studies Association of Nigeria (SOSAN)

* National Association of Physical Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD)

* Nigeria Association for Educational Administration and Planning (NAEAD)

* Philosophy of Education Association of Nigeria (PEAN) and several others.

* Economic Society of Nigeria (ESN).

Dr. Amina is with the RSUBEB.

Amina G.H. Fiberesima