Teacher

On wickedness of school proprietors

By Ishaka Mohammed

In a recently published article in The Daily Reality, one Muhammad Isyaku discussed the harsh reality of being a private school teacher in Nigeria. Despite arguing the inhumane attitudes of many school proprietors towards their employees (teachers), the writer admitted that there are still good school owners.

I have seen and heard about bosses being cruel to their subordinates in many private organisations, including schools. However, much as I wouldn’t want to completely rationalise the ill-treatment of any human being, I have to mention that some cases of maltreatment are simple reactions. Some workers break agreements without expecting any consequences. So, any attempt by a boss to implement a penalty could easily be considered as cruelty.

Nonetheless, I understand that some bosses take advantage of their subordinates by presenting them with seemingly unrealistic terms of contract. It’s unfortunate that desperation or economic realities force many people to sign some ridiculous conditions of service without a thorough examination.

For instance, as a secondary school teacher with over 24 lesson periods in a week and an average class size of 40 students, it would be unrealistic for one to prepare lesson plans and notes, deliver lessons effectively, give students a task after every contact and mark their books before proceeding to the next topic.

It would also be ridiculous for one to be expected at work by 7 a.m. and be prohibited from eating until the close of work (usually after 2 p.m.). Some people would sign but violate such seemingly impractical conditions and then demonise their employers for applying penalties.

A colleague of mine once lamented a deduction (for lateness) from his salary and threatened to resign. I found his outrage irrational because, despite the fact that we signed 7.30 a.m. in our conditions of service, our principal gave us a ten-minute grace. In addition, the first three violations in a month are pardoned. So, I wondered what that colleague really wanted.

Aside from the above, there are workers who hide their violations from their employers. Some go as far as telling lies to avoid penalties. I once went to work late and signed in after 7.40 a.m., but I was shocked when I later noticed that an older colleague, who arrived after me, falsified the time and signed in as if both of us had arrived before 7.40 a.m. Where is our integrity? Imagine what this colleague would have said about the organisation if the violation had been reported and penalised!

Things aren’t always what they appear on the surface. Just as many tenants are fond of demonising their landlords, many private school teachers vilify school proprietors by telling incomplete stories.

My views on this topic have made some people mistake me for a school owner. No, I’m not. In fact, I’m still a private school teacher.

I’ll share my thoughts on private school teachers’ salaries in another article soon, God willing.

Ishaka Mohammed can be reached via ishakamohammed39@gmail.com.

Delta teacher who flogged 19-month-old baby to death denies allegation

By Uzair Adam Imam

Emeka Nwogbo, a teacher at Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School Asaba, apprehended over allegations of beating his 19-month-old pupil, Obinna Udeze, to death, has debunked the allegation.

Nwogbo argued that there must be other underlying issues that killed Udeze as he claimed the child didn’t die while he was punishing him.

He stated that he flogged the late Udeze as he had to whip ’a baby’ and that the child was punished because he pushed another child.

The teacher said, “I did not cane the child to death; I flogged him as I’m supposed to flog a child. I flogged him as little as I could; I did not kill the child.

“I am not responsible for his death. They should go and check this thing very well. I flogged the child because he pushed another child and hit the other child’s head,” he added.

The 19-month-old pupil breathed her last after allegedly being given 31 strokes of the cane by the school owner on Monday, February 7, 2022.

The baby had fallen into a coma after he was beaten while the beating left several marks on his body, and died five days later at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, the state capital.

While addressing the journalists, the state police commissioner, Ari Muhammed Ali, said a” post mortem examination will be carried out to ascertain at least the cause of death.”