Group calls for teachers’ empowerment, retooling for better post-covid-19 school management

As schools set to reopen fully on Monday, October 19, f ol l owi n g the seven months’ forced lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of the coronavirus ( Covid- 19) pandemic, the Human Development Initiative (HDI) has called for teachers’ empowerment and retooling to upskill their class management towards reducing pupils/teachers ratio and the overall school management system post Covid-19.

The group at a sensitisation programme held in Lagos for stakeholders in the basic education subsector, said it was important teachers get retrained to keep touch with modern realities of teaching.

Appealing to government to increase its workforce and look into the welfare of teachers to boost learning, the group stressed that it was counterproductive to match teachers with many pupils than they can handle.

“We want to encourage the government to support and empower more teachers, g ive them palliat ive s , training and retraining,” said Johnson Ibidapo, the project coordinator, HDI.

According to Ibidapo, HDI is appealing to the Lagos State government to employ more teachers to reduce the current level of pupils/teachers ratio in the state, especially at the basic education level.

“...for teachers to be caring for 120 students every day, that teacher might not know when a student is not in school. Fine, the teacher is paid to teach but that does not mean they should have more students than they can handle,” said Ibidapo.

HDI noted that while government plays its part in ensuring conducive learning environment and teachers’ welfare, parents should ensure enrollment of their children or wards in school.

It also called on community based groups, religious leaders, community leaders, parents and individuals to partner with government in reporting shady deals and ensure that awarded school projects are properly carried out.

“We are talking to them ( stakeholders) on basic education management and administration, one of the very critical roles is ensuring enrollment of pupils who are of school age; that’s one and two; we are also trying to make them see their responsibility in managing and monitoring of basic education projects,” Bolanle Dare, HDI senior programme officer, said.

According to her, HDI is empowering stakeholders with the handbook of the action plan that Lagos State is currently implementing. The 2018 action plan currently being implemented by Lagos State contains all the projects for basic education in the state.