Government urged to upgrade teaching in rural areas
By Temitope Mustapha, Abuja
The Nigerian government has been urged to further upgrade teaching profession and give more attention to teachers in the rural community.
The government is also tasked to be more deliberate in creating access to quality education for all including the children of the rural dwellers.
A lead House Mate in the Season 3 of Teachers Naija Reality TV Show, Mr Wua Nsughve Isaac made the calls in Abuja during the first eviction session of the reality program.
According to Nsughve, “If the status of teachers is upgraded, naturally there will be motivation for others out there. When you go to classes, you find it easy for students to say I want to become a doctor when I grow up, I want to become a pilot but mostly none says I want to become a teacher”
“But as a teacher you have to find ways for students to be proud enough to say they want to become a teacher. Also, teachers in rural communities tend to be neglected”
”These communities tend to be absolutely out of reach of basic amenities in the schools so government need to focus more on upgrading the status of rural teachers,” he added
Teachers Naija Reality TV Show
Nsughve called for support for the teachers’ reality TV Show requesting for the same order of counterpart value given to other reality TV shows.
“I just want to call on corporate bodies in Nigeria to give counterpart value to Teachers Naija Reality TV show. This will go a long way in encouraging teacher and as well reposition the teaching profession in Nigeria because our families, students and others will watch us on TV and they will aspire to be like us someday.”
Mr Nsughve who was nominated for the show from St James African Church Primary School Obafemi Owode, Ogun State added that the teachers’ TV show provides countless opportunities for teachers from rural communities and exposes them to the larger society.
House mate number 17 who was evicted during the first eviction show, Precious Osamudiamen Osemwonta, said she had high expectations on the show.
“I eyed the first prize and I was prepared to stay on the show till the end but from the last tasks we were given my group did not do well so I knew that it may affect it”
“I also scored below 50percent in the major task we were given as individuals, but I wanted to learn, unlearn and relearn new ways of teaching and all aspects of teaching profession”
The Smart Teacher
The Convener of the Teachers Reality TV show, Ubaka Enuagwuna said the theme of the season 3 episode of the teachers’ TV show is ‘The Smart Teacher’.
According to him, the major criteria deployed in selecting the House mates is creativity and innovation.
“First of all, the theme for this season’s is a smart teacher, so that means for you to come into the show, you must be a smart teacher, a teacher that should be able to think, a teacher that is able to create something out of nothing, a teacher that is able to work under pressure and a teacher that’s all encompassing”
Ubaka a professional teacher himself said the teachers’ reality TV show was launched to the public to change narratives and address obvious challenges that faces a Nigerian teacher.
Teachers on TV
Ubaka emphasised that putting teachers on TV is to show that teachers can be celebrated and they can also become celebrities.
The Teachers Naija TV Reality show in Nigeria began in 2019 and it is in partnership with the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria,the CIEP UK and the AU.
Ubaka pointed out that the only area of challenge is getting sponsors for the show.
Currently, there are 19 House Mates, 3 among them are on probation while one has been evicted.
The Teachers Naija Reality TV show season 3 which began on 22nd October will end 20th November,2022.
Overall winner of the show would go home with the grand prize of N10 million, the first runner-up would have N7 million, and the second runner-up gets N5 million.