“We did not speak English in my primary school”. That was my friend narrating his primary school experience to me which I was finding it difficult to believe. He went ahead “When non-Yoruba speaking teachers were brought to our school, they either had to learn the language or request for transfer out of the school, because we the student did not understand English”. Still in shock at this revelation, I asked “How then did you learn to speak English?” I had teacher in my first year in Junior Secondary School (A public school also) who took special interest in me; although I had no money, he took me extra classes, monitoring me and ensuring that I was able to catch me with my mates. Though I don’t know where the teacher is today, but his investment in my education was why I could continue my studies and be who I am today”.

This is a sad but true account of a friend who attended a public primary school in Lagos. Although the account was quite a number of years ago, it still reinforces the important role of teachers. The teaching profession is often belittled in this part of the world, even by the teachers themselves. However, the role of teacher cannot be over emphasized. Beyond imparting knowledge, a teacher is a mentor, a coach, a counsellor, and a parent.

However, we do not find many teachers like my friends teacher, who go the extra-mile just to see that a student improves his academic performance with no reward or incentive attached. Many teachers lament about the poor remuneration, which is true and can be demoralizing. However, beyond higher wages, there is need for continuous learning and training for teachers, particularly to improve pedagogy. Teachers often lack the skills to communicate technical knowledge and create an atmosphere for learning to take place.

Just like any business invest in their human resource, it is important that the government begin to invest in teacher training. Teacher training should cover areas such as Classroom Management, Social and Emotional Learning, Instructional Design etc. Quality Teacher Training will improve academic outcomes, as delivery will be more effective.