Education Administrators Propose Solutions to Teacher Shortage Crisis

Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education, Otto/Ijanikin, urged governments to reintroduce payment of stipends to students in colleges of education and provide automatic employment after their training as teachers.

Jun 3, 2024 - 13:42

Education Administrators Propose Solutions to Teacher Shortage Crisis

Education administrators have suggested various measures to attract and retain quality teachers in the teaching profession. They emphasized the need to glamourize teaching to attract more youth to the profession and proposed initiatives such as scholarship awards, automatic employment, improved salaries, and stipends.

The administrators made these remarks in response to the shortage of qualified teachers, especially in core subjects, in many schools across Nigeria. According to the 2022/2023 Universal Basic Education Commission National Personnel Audit Report, there is a shortage of 194,876 teachers in public primary schools in Nigeria, with only 499,202 out of the required 694,078 teachers available.

Dr. Wahab Afeez, the Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, expressed concern over the decline in student enrollment for teaching programs and emphasized the urgency for governments to address this trend. He highlighted the risk posed by the shortage of qualified teachers to the future of students.

Furthermore, Dr. Afeez called for improved welfare packages for students in colleges of education and advocated for scholarship awards to prospective students to boost enrollment. He also mentioned efforts by the committee of provosts to address the shortage of qualified teachers.

Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education, Otto/Ijanikin, urged governments to reintroduce payment of stipends to students in colleges of education and provide automatic employment after their training as teachers. She emphasized the importance of celebrating and taking care of teachers with sufficient benefits to attract more youths to the teaching profession.

Additionally, Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye highlighted the increase in student interest in education courses following the institution's transition to a university. She warned against employing unqualified teachers, stressing the importance of maintaining high standards for teachers to ensure effective teaching and learning outcomes.

Andrew Agada, the Principal of King's College, Lagos, emphasized the significance of qualified teachers in achieving effective teaching and learning outcomes. He emphasized the link between the quality of teachers and the success of educational endeavors.

In conclusion, education administrators underscored the importance of implementing measures to attract and retain quality teachers to enhance the quality of education in Nigeria. They called on governments to prioritize the welfare of teachers and provide adequate support to address the shortage of qualified teachers.