Govt should include private school teachers in sponsored courses, seminars for public school teachers  — Ubiaza

High Chief Sylvester Ubiaza (KSM) is the proprietor, Harmony International School, Madalla, Niger state and a former Chairman, Niger state chapter of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS). In this press interview with our Abuja reporter, Abba – Eku Onyeka recently in his office in the school, he urges government to include private school teachers in courses, seminars, workshops, among others they usually organise and sponsor for public school teachers, even as he adds that it will enhance learning should government be providing facilities that will make learning conducive. Excerpts:

Madalla is located in Suleja local government area in the northern part of Nigeria. What is it like running a school there?

Running a school in Niger state is quite interesting, because if you abide by the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Education in the state, you will not have any problem.

Are the rules and regulations something to go by easily?

Well, I can say that they are fair. It has human face, that is why I say that it is fair.

There is this allegation that private schools don’t only employ quack teachers, but also charge very high fees. Can you react that?

I am happy that you mentioned quack. Yoruba adage says, ‘obe to ndu, owo lo kpa.’ Literally meaning that the soup that is rich is as a result of money used in making it. When you start to talk of sanity in education, it will start with qualified teachers. When you get qualified teachers, they will be able to put the system in good order. And to have them, is money.

Just like science teachers now; you have graduates from universities or polytechnics, who went back to do their Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), coming back to teach. You have to pay them handsomely to keep them in the school. If they aren’t well remunerated, they will only stay one month with you and leave; most especially, those of us who are very close to the FCT. They will just move to either Lugbe or Kubwa in the FCT, where you have them pay N200,000.00 to N250,000.00 at primary level per term; not here where we take N8,000, or N9,000.00.

Do you think that private schools can compete favorably with their public counterparts?

Sure.

How?

Sure, because in public schools; let us say for instance the one I know quite okay. In public schools they are having above 100 children in a class. How many hours will it take a teacher to make a role call?  In private schools, you will take those hours to cover about two periods.

You know that there is no proper control in public schools.

In private school, you know that the more serious you are in what you are doing, the better for the system. That is why I say that private schools do better than their public counterparts. You can ask some of the well-to-do in the society. How many of them have their children in  public schools? All their children are in the private schools.

Educationists are among the professionals that should be selfless in their duties. What efforts are people like you who are in the system, making for the children of the poor to have access to quality education in the private schools?

It depends on priority. If you have priority in education for your children; if you need the best for your children, you make provision for it. I for one, before establishing private school, my children passed through private schools. Some of them have never stepped into public schools. From nursery, primary to secondary schools, they passed through private schools. Even in the university, they passed through private universities.

I still have two who are in private universities in Abuja here.

Don’t you think that it is because you can afford it?

It is not a question of ability to afford it. I made mention of priority. Something one has pasion for.

Irrespective of the high fees they collect, do you think that it is wise for the private schools to be demanding support from the government?

Yes it is wise. The parents of the children who are in private schools are paying tax like those whose children are in the public schools.

Workshops, seminars, courses, among others usually organised and sponsored for the public school teachers alone should be extended to the teachers of private schools. Those whose children are in private schools also pay tax to the Federal Government (FG). It will also go a long way for the country, if the government  equips libraries, as well as provide facilities that will enhance learning in private schools as they do for their public counterparts.

To some of us, running and managing a school is not all that for business and profit maximisation, as people think it to be. No! There are some of us who go into it due to the fact that we are passionate to help the society, as well as contribute our quota to the development of education in this country, particularly in the state where we find ourselves.

Does it mean that the private  schools will reduce fees, if the government yields to their demands?

Not necessarily, the reduction of school fees. It has nothing to do with the reduction of schools fees. We are talking of boosting and maintaining standards. If the standards are high, you won’t say that it is from private schools, or a particular state, but from Nigeria.

If the teachers are up and doing, they will put in their best. If they are well informed, going through seminars, workshops, courses, among other similar trainings that will keep them updated, it will go a long way for the country educationally.

Though this is a security issue, but as a proprietor of a school in the northern part of the country where kidnappers usually come into school, abduct all the school children, what is your view on this?

We read it in the newspapers; the happening in the society and there is no father that will be happy about it. We are not happy about it and we are appealing to the FG with the state government to do everything possible to protect the children in the schools.

Initially, for you to be a teacher, you must have TC II or NCE or B.Ed. But today those who didn’t do educational courses can come in, so far they did PGDE. As an insider, between what was obtainable before and that of today, which is better for quality education to be achieved in the country?

Thanks for the question. You know that there is born teacher. Teaching is a gift from nature.

In most private schools, you can’t just come and apply for teaching and get employment immediately and be directed to a class room. No! It isn’t done. There is a test. You must pass through an interview and after interview, you are sent to practical, to test if you are actually a teacher; if you are actually good in that subject.

There will be a situation, whereby teachers will be part of the children they will be taking. They will be watching you. They are the ones to assess you, before it is considered that this person can teach, or he is good in that subject. We have to assess whoever comes, wether he or she is TC ll, NCE, B.Ed or whatsoever certificate holder, but all you should know is that, not all that have the certificates are good. There are some of them who are not that good. So we have to test them to know the best hand.

What people like you say in the sector goes a long way. Do you think that the discrepancy between the HND holder and B.Sc or B.A holders is necessary?

I think that it was the governent that started the discrepancy. There are cut-off marks in admission in all courses. The cut-off marks for universities are higher than that of polytechnics; while those of polytechnics are higher than those of colleges of education.

Sometime ago, I read one of Bishop Kuka’s write-ups. He said that it is only in Nigeria that the third class takes over the control and supervision. And that is exactly what is happening. If you are going for a science subject, you have to equip yourself very well. You must be brilliant. So question of HND and Degree, they were the ones that started it all. If you are now saying okay, the cut-off of polytechnics, can as well be used for universities; why not do it that way?

What would be your advice to policy makers in education?

The policy makers should be up and doing. Nigerian students, they are one of the most clever and brilliant students in the whole world. All that they need is for the government to provide enabling environment for them. If you provide Nigerian children the amenities they have in US and UK, they will do wonders. The policy makers, the government of the day should please give us a conducive and enabling environment for the students to learn.

What are those facilities needed for the brilliant Nigerian students to prove themselves before the globe?

Earlier on you said something about insecurity. In the present day insecurity, some people aren’t prepared to send their children to school. Somebody that is coming to school should be rest-assured that he is safe. Secondly, electricity. Here we have fans all over and they are here for decoration. Unless if you want to put on generator. We can’t be fueling the generator all day round. Thirdly, water; we get water here once in a week. There are so many things the government needs to put it in place. We are talking of ICT now, computer; learning environment. Why can’t government supply us computers at subsidized rates for the students. It isn’t too much for the government. Anything you are doing now has to be with laptop. They have to learn on it to know how to go about it. It is a subject of its own. How many children can afford it? So we need help from the government.