Experts in the educational sector have expressed concern the recent plan of the Federal Government to pay the N75,000 semester allowance to students studying education in any higher institutions of learning.
Josiah Ajiboye, the registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) had on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 explained that the details of the allowance would be made public in January 2022.
Kayode Soremekun, a former university vice-chancellor welcomed the idea but observed, however, that it was not the way to go about improving the education and the teaching profession in Nigeria.
“Giving stipends to education students is not the best way to go about it. That will just lure more students to go for education courses, after first degree, they may opt for masters in another faculty. Invariably, being an education student does not translate to being a teacher.
“Teachers should be well catered for by giving them car loans, housing and other good things of life that will attract people to the profession.
“Finland is one of the countries with the best education structure. Why can’t the Federal Government study how they treat their teachers,” he asked.
According to Roselyn Okonobo, a teacher, “The Federal Government is just playing politics, the election is around the corner, and all kinds of promises will begin to flood the media.
“It is not feasible; though the money is there some individuals will divert the money for their personal use. How successful were they in sharing the COVID-19 palliative?”
Stanley Alaubi, a university don said the Federal Government has not been true to its promises, hence cannot be taken seriously.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has a track record of never keeping its promises. The issue between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the government is a good example. I know it is not feasible but maybe I should be optimistic,” he said.
For Ashley Deko, a senior lecturer at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), the idea is okay, but it should be for the best students bearing in mind the population.
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“The stipend should be for excellent students only and will help motivate students to take their studies seriously,” Deko said.
Matthew Adediran, an educationist said he does not believe that throwing money at a problem will solve the problem.
“If the aim is to improve education, improve school infrastructure, quality of teaching and broadening the school curriculum among others,” he said.
For Friday Erhabor it is a good motivation to encourage people to go into teaching, but implementation is the challenge.
The Federal Government in a bid to attract excellent personnel to the teaching profession had promised to commence payment of stipends for education students in public tertiary institutions.
President Muhammad Buhari had during the 2021 World Teachers’ Day announced his administration’s plan to make the teaching profession lucrative and ensure that teachers were adequately trained.
The president also announced that education students in federal institutions would be given N50,000 for those in colleges of education per semester and N75,000 for those in universities.
Meanwhile, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has disclosed that the details of the N75,000 and N50,000 semester allowance promised by the president will be out early next year.
Ajiboye, the TRCN boss in a statement clarified that letters to this effect had already been written and that the ministry of education was working with the tertiary education trust fund in that regard.
