Ebola: Of private school teachers and resumption

NIGERIANS need to commend the Federal Government and particularly the federal and state ministries of education for coming out boldly in their bid to contain the spread of the Ebola virus in the country.

The extension of resumption of schools appears to be a good development in our collective efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola virus, as the virus could easily spread among the primary and secondary school students. Some of the nursery and primary school students, most times, easily share biscuits, sweets, cake among themselves. They play with their saliva and often embrace themselves, even with sweat on their bodies while playing. Governments at all levels should, therefore, not relax within the period of extension of resumption to put the spread of the virus under total control.

Though the spread of the deadly disease to Nigeria by a Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer is pathetic, the inefficiency of our immigration officials and those in position of authorities whose duty it was to protect the lives of every Nigerian leaves much to be desired. If those saddled with the responsibility of controlling the movement of people in and out of the country were on their toes, they would have checkmated the agent of death, Sawyer, from entering the country with his deadly message.

Sawyer came and did the havoc before he died and today we are still grappling with the aftermath as a nation. Some have even lost their loved ones while many too, have been quarantined. The age-long tradition of handshake and hugging as a sign of love is now going into oblivion while some businesses especially, hospitals, have been closed.

The extension of resumption of schools to October 13, as laudable as it is, may likely make some people worse off. Teachers at the private primary and secondary schools in the country may be at the receiving end, as some private school proprietors may not pay their salaries within the period. While public school teachers may smile to the bank at the end of September and October, it may not be the same for teachers in some private schools.

The minister of education should be aware that only few private schools pay their teachers, even during the long vacations. And a few among the lots that pay salaries during vacations do not pay more than half salary, and on the condition that the teachers must participate in the summer coaching, which the directive of the minister has also suspended.

One may not totally blame the private school proprietors who do not pay or pay half salary during long vacations because they also are in business, not to make loss, even as some of these schools are struggling to survive. Most of them might not boast having savings that could offset their staff salaries for a month. The solvency of most private schools is in doubt as some of them are under the burden of heavy debt ranging from bank loans to heavy taxation by the government.

Some private school teachers who may not be lucky to have their August, September and probably October salaries, have families and dependants to cater for. They have rents, medical and electricity bills to offset during the period. It is against this background that the Federal Government, through the ministry of education, should reconsider the plight of these teachers.

There is no doubt that private school proprietors have contributed greatly to job creation in the country. Also, it may not be out of place if the federal and state governments could assist the sector, this time round. Private schools that are duly registered with the government could be assisted financially to be able to meet their financial obligations to their staff at this trying period of extension of resumption of schools throughout the country. If public primary and secondary school teachers would be paid their salaries during the enforced holiday, occasioned by Ebola, then, private school teachers also deserved to be paid their salaries.

Some private school proprietors, however, depend on what comes in daily, for payment of their staff salaries. Some school proprietors, who pay salaries during long vacations, pay their teachers after resumption of students. The extension of resumption date till October 13 implies that these set of proprietors would have to wait till October ending, when students would have started paying fees, before they can pay their teachers and other workers.

In order to motivate and protect the private school sector, the Federal Government, through the federal ministry of education, could set up a commission for the sector. Soft loans and grants may also be made available to operators of the sector as a way of sustaining the sector in its efforts at grooming the youth. At the state and local government levels, similar commission could also be inaugurated as some of these schools and their operators are closer to the state and local governments.

Private school sector could also thrive better and contribute significantly to job creation by providing enabling environment for the operators. Government, especially state and local, may need to abrogate unnecessary bottlenecks on registration of private schools. The stringent conditions for registration such as high fees may be one of the reasons some of the private school operators failed to register their schools with the government, thus denying the government huge sum of revenue

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