Of Covid-19 and Private Schools’ Teachers -By Muhammed Saheed

Everyone seems to have forgotten the effect of this deadly scourge dubbed Covid-19 on the private school teachers. No one knows how beyond difficult and the untold hardship that crept into the doors of these teachers ever since the breakout of the pandemic virus.

Undoubtedly, the emergence of the virus has affected virtually all aspects of life. It has touched negatively and shaken the world than ever imagined. Schools as well as the religious houses are closed down. Though, relatively relaxed some days back with strict protocols.

Businesses are striving as some companies continue to lay off their staff as a result of their apparent inability to pay their emoluments. Some have their salaries slashed in three parts, and they go home with one part. All in a bid to feed themselves at this time.

But the fate of the private schools’ teachers dashed the moment the lockdown commenced. The looming expectations of salary at the end of every month crashed. How to get something to eat becomes difficult and complicated for the teachers. A family that depends on a father who earns little from teaching in a private school is left with next to nothing than to beg from friends for food. No doubt, this period is affecting the teachers more.

Sauntering the streets in search of what to eat becomes unrealistic. Organising home lessons in an effort to get money to cater for the family remains a punishable gaffe before the government. Resorting to such will decipher flouting of lockdown directive which states that everyone should stay at home and consciously maintain social distance.
The kind gestures from the parents have ceased. While schools were still open, parents shower the teachers with wanton of surprise gifts ranging from money to foodstuffs these had stopped for reasons best known to the parents. Without mincing words, the teachers need the gesture at this critical and trying time to flatten the curve of hunger. If the parents will realize this sooner.

The government of every state should come to the private schools’ teachers’ aid by providing soft loans for them which will be repaid when the schools resumed. This can be done by collecting the data of private schools in the state and the number of teachers in it entirely to make it easier. Better still, the heads of all the private schools registered with the Ministry Of Education should be invited for a discussion on how the government could help their teachers in dousing the avoidable hardship.

The well-to-do parents should also come to the aid of their wards’ teachers. Now is the perfect and exact time to exhibit how much they appreciate their efforts in instilling and imbuing knowledge on to your wards. Stretching of helping hands to the teachers would go a long way in ameliorating the perceived starvation.

Muhammed Saheed

Kwara State.