Tuesday, 16 April 2013

STAFF INSTABILITY IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

PART 1

The subject of this write up is somehow nebulous. This is so because of the possibility of the multiple interpretations that can be given to it. Some of the possible interpretations are staff stability as it hampers or fosters good teaching and learning in the school, is it the stability of the individual teacher/ staff as meaning his psych-stability? Or is it the institution stabilizing her staff as could be seen in longer stay in the school? Or is it the retention of a staff in a position (in a class) or what?
 This should not be taken as a mere dribbling of the subject; it is the understanding in either ways that is often experienced in the system.

We shall be examining this in three broad ways: reasons for and against staff stability in a school, principles of stability of staff and benefits of staff stability as it serves the advantage of teaching / learning process in the school.

Most proprietors of schools go into the establishment of school as a branch of their economic enterprise. As a result they go to all length to ‘make it’ like the woman who sells rice in the market giving a false measure in order to make more money. Definitely we know that such a woman when discovered by her customers they will surely cut her off.  The point that needs to be scored here is that those who give true measures to staff always maintain stability but those who give false measure always maintain instability.
When a proprietor has no educational mission/vision in establishing a school this is the beginning of instability in the school set up. The proprietor must set out clearly the objectives, goals, aspiration for school in terms of curriculum, assessment, examinations, classroom behaviour, what do you want to achieve with this school?

There are proprietors who establish schools as a means to achieving public corporate image for themselves. These categories could be likened to the initiator of a rural dwellers project, who having got approval to propagate her fine programme for rural dwellers went ahead to launch the programme at the International Conference Centre Abuja, inviting an audience of people who have never been to any village let alone stayed in any rural area in all their lives. The point here is that some proprietors establish schools merely for propagating their name but having no bearing with a vision or a universal educational objective. Therefore stability of staff can never be maintained since their stability or otherwise does not matter

Even though, some proprietors have good intentions and good understanding of establishing schools they are not equipped with organisational skills with which to run the schools. To worsen situation very many in this category surround themselves with people who do not have organisational abilities as chief architects of their school organisational designs. The stability of staff is affected when within the roll of staff there are people who know exactly what to do and how to do it but because they are employees they are not able to change the situation so they leave the system. The employers not been able to identify the problem frames ideas and slogans such as ‘’ let him/her go after all many people are rushing to come here’’ ‘’can she/he get what is obtainable here else where?’’ soldier go soldier come’’

Another point here is that most employers in the private educational enterprise do not have staff schedules of duties; they employ a staff and expect them to ‘know’ what to do! This is an aberration in Nigerian private schools. Roles must be clearly defined. If objectives are to be achieved staff must have a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, this is essential for the staff’s own sense of well being and the smooth functioning of the programme. A written job description helps teachers understand the scope of their own position as well as those of others. Clearly defined teacher roles also serve as a guard against legal and ethical problems. Also when roles are stated staff evaluation will be easier.

Unemployment and the hardship of the times cause several employees get into jobs that are not to their taste, they are placed in positions where they do not exhibit their expertise, and therefore they never get fulfilled in their respective jobs. When teachers do not teach subjects they had studied in school or teach in a level outside of their qualification, instability sets in.  They move to other places whenever vacancies are announced.
As the great Islamic jihadist of 18th century in Nigeria Alhaji Uthman Dan Fodio said “the greatest crime that could be committed is when a man refuses or is not allowed to put to practice what he has learnt’.

Greed and the desire to become ordinarily what is unattainable, makes several staff to change jobs. For instance staffs do compare themselves with others who probably are doing better elsewhere. The grass is always greener at the other side of the fence. They never take into account how those people got to their present positions. They are not even ready to go through what those people have gone through, yet they want to get to that height overnight. In an attempt to attain this they feel a compulsive need for change.

Some staff often feels that they are been oppressed or persecuted, Some employees feel that their employer is not qualified after all to be their boss by the mere fact that they are expected to do their job, or even when they are asked to give report /keep records of their work.
They go from place to place at the end they may not find the kind of boss they are looking for.

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