Untold story of how graduates teaching in private schools in Akwa Ibom suffer hardship
Many graduates, if not all, currently teaching in private schools across the state did not envisage that the unemployment crisis rocking the nation would someday leave them with no other option than to seek what they are made to think is a solace in private schools. Even if they had dreamt teaching in private schools before they eventually found themselves there, assuming, they certainly would not have agreed to dream the part of being silently subjected to an experience best described as a modern-day slavery.
What seems a paradox of life to these young graduates whom many have described as victims of the circumstances of the Nigerian unemployment saga is that the slavery experience that they are made to go through on daily basis looks so soothing and normal that those who visit such schools like parents and guardians would hardly notice any form of ill- treatment. Perhaps it is a case of suffering and smiling at the same time; to put up an appearance that can never reveal any hardship or betray the proprietors of those institutions that they are like the proverbial wolfs in sheep clothing.
Although the methods and levels of experiences these graduates go through vary from school to school, our investigative reporter gathered, the fact is that graduates in those schools are often denied a voice to speak, complain or even express grievances, as they are always made to think of an outright dismissal as a threatening measure to remain subservient to whatever policy, whether anti-graduates or anti-teachers. One can say that they are the antithesis of their counterparts in the public schools; their humanity and individuality completed subsumed by constant threats of the possibility of their salaries being subtracted or, at worst, withheld with no fear of anything.
It is most worrisome that graduates teaching in private schools in the state are often used for so many academic and non-academic activities for more than the stipulated hours for work. The unfortunate fact here is that despite this, little or no reward is given to them to boost their morale and make them feel dignified as humans, except in a few schools where little is given to them, findings revealed.
Interestingly, the Nigerian Labour Act of 2004 regulates terms and conditions of employment for Nigerian workers. Section 13 regulates hours of work and overtime. The Act however, does not expressly state the hours of work for workers, but, in section 13 (3), it provides that where a worker works for six hours or more a day, he or she shall be entitled to one or more ‘suitably spaced’ rest interval not less than one hour on the aggregate.
But this is not so in most private schools in the state, sadly. The graduates in their employ are made to work from 7:am up to 5:00pm and some, beyond this time, thereby being subjected to some psychological, emotional and physical slavery.
Our investigative reporter gathered that what is rather demoralizing about this unacceptable practice is that the enslaved are conditioned in spirit and in soul to walk through the path of this slavery in huge pretences that all is well; that they are well paid and treated in accordance with the Nigerian Labour Acts and the International Labour Laws and conventions.
One case in point is one of the private schools (name withheld) located off Nwaniba Road, Uyo. This particular school can best be described as an institution with a lot of activities -academic and non-academic that tend to over use, or better still, over labour the young graduates teachers who are in most cases helpless.
Surprisingly, the teachers there, against their will, are compelled to involve in what they called ‘tutor-parenting programme’ that usually runs from 7:30am to 8:00am every Tuesday. This implies that the teachers resume work earlier than the stipulated time set by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1919 which is 9:00pm. It also means that they would have to work beyond eight hours, against the conventions. The implication of this is that teachers must be in school before the commencement of the programme, an aspect that is never captured in the contractual agreement letter, our investigation revealed.
Our investigation also showed that these teachers are also involved in the regular teaching times between the hours of 8:am and 2:30pm. Most of them have between 24 to 28 credit unit loads, meaning that they would teach up to seven or eight periods in seven or eight arms in a day; out of the overall eight periods in the teaching timetable in a day.
Still in this very institution, findings show that the helpless graduates again are involved in some mentorship teaching where they are assigned some students to mentor. This usually commences from 4:pm and ends at 5:pm. This holds on Tuesdays where there are no lessons, otherwise, they are made to teach from 4:pm to 6:pm, the second round of teaching. One wonders where the strength usually comes from, when it is obvious that these teachers, having taught between six and eight arms in a day, must have drained themselves of every strength in them. All of these are indeed a tale of woe which is an indirect modern-day slavery.
Our investigation revealed yet another startling ill-treatment of graduates. It is that most private schools in the state tie their students’ failure to the teachers. What this means is that if a child fails any exam, the teacher whose subject the child failed is blamed for that. In some of these schools, the teacher is queried for incompetence, sanctioned and in some cases, his or salary is either deducted or withheld. All these, our reporter was told, are the untold stories of graduates.
Knowing the heavy penalties for a student to fail an exam, our reporter was told by a teacher who pleaded anonymity that teachers would deliberately inflate students’ marks to make them pass all their exams in ‘flying colours’.
Section (6) of Nigerian Labour Act of 2004 states that “employers are not allowed to deduct an employee’s wages for any reason, unless reasonable deduction for injury/ loss caused to the employer, but only with prior written consent of an authorised Labour officer”.
Mr. Gideon Willie, a graduate teaching in one of the private schools (name withheld), told our investigative reporter that where he is teaching currently, no student is allowed to fail any examination, however poor a student is.
He averred that the failure of student could tantamount to a serious query or outright dismissal from work if the teacher involved failed to provide adequate explanations as to why a student, for instance, failed .
“Where I’m teaching now, our students don’t fail. They all pass every term. If a student fails your subject, the implication is that you are poor as a teacher, and you must face the consequences”.
According to Nigerian Labour Act, section (9), “ with respect to termination of an employment contract, the Labour Act provides for minimum of notice of periods not less than three months”.
Some of the graduates teaching in private schools told our investigative reporter that they are neither treated as graduates nor are they treated differently from secondary school leavers. In some of those schools, they averred; one can hardly differentiate graduates from secondary school leavers. They said the dignity in being a graduate and the pride of being a teacher seem non-existent in the lives of graduates, owning to a slave mentality that is propagated indirectly in their lives.
Speaking with our reporter, another graduate teaching in one of the private schools in the state (name withheld), Mr. Itoro Robert Akpan revealed that he had taught in six private schools across the state, but alleged that all the proprietors and school owners were no different in their ill-attitude towards graduates in their employ whom they see as frustrated individuals.
According to him, graduates are used to work for hours longer than it is morally right, and they are paid something that is not in commensurate with the level and hours put in to work.
“ It is not encouraging to keep graduates longer than eight hours in school. We in private schools; we are made to overwork as against how it is suppose to be. We over work, but we don’t receive pay that equals the work we do.
“In all the private schools that I have taught, my salary has not gone above N30,000, even with many teaching credit loads and more than one subject. Like where I am now, I teach three subjects :English Language, Literature-in-English and Government. I studied Political Science, but I’m forced to teach English and Literature”.
“If you divide #30,000 by 20 days, that is, Monday to Friday for four weeks, you would realise that my daily payment is #1,500 for a graduate like me. Those who do menial jobs work between 8:am and 1:pm or 2:pm at most, but earn over #2,000 daily. I work for more than ten hours everyday. This is what we are suffering”.
“Graduates go to private schools out of frustration; not having something to do, because they don’t want to sit at home just like that”, Akpan lamented.
Mr. Akpan therefore, advised the government to revamp ailing industries so that graduates will be employed, thereby reducing the number of private schools.
He maintained that creating job opportunities will not only engage graduates and reduce their hardship in the hands of private schools owners, but will also move to teach some proprietors some lessons on how to dignify graduates, while curbing their excesses.
Our reporter’s visit to some of these private schools revealed that virtually in all the schools, teachers are compelled to appear in some stipulated dress code. Some have different uniforms for the teachers to be worn in all the work days.
While interacting with some of them, our reporter found out that non-compliance to the daily dress code or uniform attracts sanctions ranging from queries to subtraction of some amount of money from the ‘erring’ teacher’s salary.
A teacher who refused to mention his name for fear of being sacked told our reporter that the essence of the dress code is to create a false impression before parents and visitors that the teachers are well paid, as seen in their corporate wears.
“The make us wear suit and corporate wears to create a false impression to the parents of our students that we are well paid. This is just a scam”.
Our reporter also learnt from the graduate teachers that they are usually warned not to go near parents, especially on the Parent-Teachers’ Association (PTA) meetings. Even in the PTA meeting, our reporter was told, they are not to talk, except having to say what would gladden the owners of the school.
According to the teacher, this is to put a check on them to avoid a situation where an unfavourable opinion that can expose the true working conditions of the teachers is expressed before parents and guardians.
Collaborating this, Mr. Ndayabasi Etim, who is currently teaching in a private school (name of the school withheld) in the state said graduates have been denied a voice to speak up when they are mistreated, owing to the unemployment situation in the country.
He revealed that graduates only attend PTA meetings to increase the number of attendees and brandish their corporate wears before parents, a practice he condemned as being deceptive.
Another graduate who is teaching in a certain private school located off Abak Road, Uyo, told our reporter in a chat that students are more respected in his school than the teachers.
He said this is so because the students are the ‘customers’ who bring money, while the teachers only take money.
He said any attempt to cause anger to a child can lead to the withdrawal of such a child by the parents whom he blamed for contributing to the ill-treatment of graduates who are misfortunate to be there.
A former private school teacher who taught in a certain school around Ikot Ada Idem-Ikot Ambang axis, Mrs. Glory Udoh disclosed that one horrible experience she had was the delay in the payment of the #18, 000 she was receiving as at 2020.
She said the lean salary was always delayed up until the second week of a new month, an action she described as wickedness and inhuman.
Mrs. Udoh therefore, called on the government to begin to look into the running of private schools in the state with a view to rescuing the declining standard of education brought about by the commercialization of these tower of ivory.
Our investigation further revealed that some private schools do not pay their teachers during holiday. Some that offer something pay a certain percentage to their teachers, while just a handful pay full salary.
For the graduates in such schools where nothing is given to them during vacation, life can best be described as excruciating and unfair to their degree and knowledge they acquired in their various tertiary institutions of learning.
Baring her mind on the plight of some graduates in private schools, the Proprietress of Divine Ambassadors, a private school in Uyo, Mrs. Faith Orji said graduates are paid depending on the number of students a school has in its enrolment.
“ If for instance there is up to 20 students in a class and you have it like that across, a teacher is supposed to home with something up to #20, 000 or more in a month.
“And you also have to consider how well the school is established, the environment and even the location of the school. All these must come first before you can determine how much to pay them”.
Mrs. Orji who condemned the practice among some proprietors who are always in the habit of owning their teachers, however advised them on timely payment as this, she said, would help the young graduates cater for their families.
Speaking on the developments, an educationist who is also the Coordinator of OSISATECH College of Education, Uyo Study Centre, Mr. Uwem Bassey, said keeping teachers beyond the recommended period cannot get the best from them, as human capacity was taken into consideration when that benchmark was set by the International Labour Organization (l. L. O.).
According to him, “ keeping a teacher beyond eight hour is very wrong, because the input cannot be there again”.
On the payment of these graduates, Mr. Bassey lamented that their salary level is nothing to write home about, especially in Akwa Ibom State.
“Normally, in a private organization, private makes more money than the government. So, their salary is supposed to commensurate what they are making.
“For instance, a school that collects up to #50,000 per child is paying their staff #20,000 or #15,000 monthly. And this graduate is taking care of about 15 to 20 students in a class. Then you now multiply #50,000 by 20 students. This is big, if the graduate is even going to be paid 10 per cent. So, it is very low.
“The problem we are having is the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigerian( TRCN) whose mandate is to regulate all these. They are actually not stepping up their games which is the representative of the government.
“Government at the centre had delegated this issue to TRCN, but they are not doing what they are supposed to do. They are only after collecting money for exams and others.
Most of the private school teachers are not trained, but if they were trained and they had membership with the TRCN, the TRCN would step in and regulate what their members are taking. So, every TRCN teacher in a private school is supposed to have standard salary they are taking, just like any other professional sector.
“A teacher that is a member of TRCN is supposed to belong to the Institute of Professional Teachers (IPT) because this institute has fixed price for all professional teachers that have TRCN. So, it a matter of these teachers belonging to a professional body so that they body can come and say this is what our members are to be paid. From there, proprietors of schools would know what they are supposed to pay.
“ For those teachers that are not professionals; not trained, their own issue is not under regulations and therefore, we cannot do anything about them”.
As the unemployment rate in Nigeria continues to soar, vis-a-vis the number of graduates that are churned out from tertiary institutions across the country yearly, one can only imagine how the working conditions of graduates who are currently teaching will get to, and those who will queue behind subsequently.
