By Haladu Muhammad
I want to speak about an issue that has deeply concerned and disturbed me for quite a while—for over half a decade, if not a full decade. The topic I wish to discuss today is clear and well known to all of us: the state of our education sector.
Education is paramount and sacrosanct. It is everyone’s duty, concern, and business. The core issue I want to address is the performance of teachers in our public schools compared to those in private schools. When comparing public and private institutions, which system possesses better infrastructure and facilities to properly instruct, guide, and develop our children?
To set the context, we are all aware of the economic hardships the country is facing. Citizens across all sectors are struggling with their daily or monthly earnings. It is no secret that the remuneration for teachers and civil servants is often inadequate.
However, what I find difficult to accept—and must question—is the persistent reliance on salary grievances as an excuse for poor performance. While I am not dismissing their financial concerns, education remains a collective responsibility.
To clarify, I am not simply shifting blame onto our educators. Look at states like Borno, Zamfara, and Jigawa. During my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service year in Zamfara State, where I served at Government Girls Secondary School, Maru, I engaged in many intellectual discussions with my colleagues regarding this situation.
Under the previous state administration, teachers went unpaid for two to three months, leading to stagnation in the education sector. However, under Governor Dr Dauda Lawal Dare, workers’ entitlements, pensions, and gratuities have been prioritised and paid promptly. Similar positive administrative steps regarding welfare can be observed in Borno and Jigawa States.
Despite public school teachers receiving higher salaries—often ₦60,000 to ₦77,000 or more, compared with private school teachers who may earn as little as ₦30,000 to ₦40,000—we consistently observe greater commitment and better pupil performance in private institutions. Private school educators, despite lower pay and inferior physical infrastructure, are often held to higher standards of accountability.
In many public schools, particularly during periods such as the rainy season, teacher absenteeism is rampant. It is not uncommon to visit a public school and find only two or three teachers present alongside the Vice Principal, while students roam the premises without instruction. Meanwhile, frivolous excuses for absence that are tolerated in the public sector would result in immediate financial deductions or termination in a private setting.
This disparity stems primarily from a lack of leadership, self-discipline, and institutional accountability. While public education has a superior structural and administrative framework on paper, it suffers from poor implementation and weak oversight.
Therefore, my call to action for state governors, Commissioners of Education, and key educational stakeholders is straightforward: establish and empower strict, independent monitoring committees within every Local Government Education Area (LGEA). These committees must actively oversee public school operations, enforce teacher attendance, and monitor academic performance across all wards and communities to restore standard quality to our public education system.
Haladu Muhammad is a concerned Nigerian citizen, and he writes from Maiduguri, Borno State.