In the face of Nigeria’s harsh economic realities, private school teachers are among the most affected professionals. While salary increments might seem like the obvious solution, the real demand should be for a restructuring of work schedules to allow teachers the opportunity to engage in additional jobs for supplementary income.
The Harsh Economic Reality for Teachers
Everyone in Nigeria today understands the economic hardship that has gripped the country. The cost of living has skyrocketed, and only the wealthy can afford a comfortable life. But for the majority of Nigerians—especially private school teachers—the struggle is overwhelming. Despite their critical role in shaping the nation’s future, these educators live in financial distress, with little or no attention paid to their survival.
Teachers face the same economic pressures as the rich: they buy the same goods, pay the same bills, and access the same services. However, their meager salaries force them to rely on loans with exorbitant interest rates just to survive. Meanwhile, school owners pretend everything is fine, ignoring the silent suffering of their staff.
To be fair, school owners themselves are affected by the tough economy. Many claim they cannot afford to raise salaries. But if salaries cannot increase, an alternative solution must be provided—one that allows teachers to earn additional income elsewhere.
Why Teachers Are Leaving the Profession
Disillusioned by their poor financial prospects, many teachers are abandoning the classroom. They are not just quitting for higher-paying jobs but also for more flexible opportunities, such as online tutoring for foreign students. Schools, in response, keep advertising vacancies, but the best educators are leaving.
At the heart of this crisis is the rigid, exploitative structure of private school work hours. Teachers spend long hours in school, with no time left to pursue side jobs. They are overworked, drained, and left with no energy to build alternative income streams. Over time, they lose their vitality and, unfortunately, their relevance.
A Simple Solution: Reduce Work Hours, Increase Financial Freedom
The solution to this crisis does not lie in salary increments alone but in adjusting teachers’ work schedules. Schools should reduce work hours to allow teachers the flexibility to engage in private lessons or other forms of income generation.
In developed countries, teachers juggle multiple jobs because their schedules permit it. But in Nigeria, the opposite is the case. Teachers remain in school all day, only to return home too exhausted to do anything else. With the current economic realities, a teacher needs to earn at least ₦100,000 weekly to maintain a basic standard of living. Anything less means financial struggle.
What Schools Should Do
Since private school owners claim they cannot afford salary increments, it is unjustifiable to keep teachers locked in schools all day. Unlike their counterparts in public schools, who close by 2:00 PM, private school teachers often work until 4:30 PM or later. After marking scripts and preparing lessons, some teachers do not leave until 6:00 PM, only to return early the next morning. At the end of the month, most of their earnings are gone—spent on transportation and feeding. Survival becomes impossible without taking loans.
A more humane system should be implemented.
Adjust school hours, minimize after-school meetings, and implement a shift system to give teachers more time for additional income activities.
Teachers are not destined for poverty. They deserve to live fulfilling lives and build happy families.
Government and Unions Must Intervene
The government must step in to regulate private school working conditions. A directive should be issued to ensure that private school teachers are not overworked to the point of financial and physical exhaustion. Schools should not be allowed to exploit teachers by keeping them for long hours without fair compensation.
Likewise, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) should not focus solely on public school teachers. The welfare of private school teachers also matters. Associations managing private schools must be considerate and prioritize the well-being of their classroom teachers.
If a teacher earns less than ₦100,000 per month, how can they survive? Even those earning ₦200,000 struggle to live comfortably. Yet, everyone remains silent, pretending all is well.
Teachers Must Also Speak Up
Many teachers have resigned themselves to their fate. They accept low pay, long hours, and financial struggles without protest. Their silence allows schools to continue exploiting them. It is time for teachers to demand better.
Their most valuable asset—their time—has been taken away. Meetings upon meetings, unnecessary engagements, and extended work hours have deprived them of opportunities to earn more. Even during exam periods, teachers still close at 4:30 PM. This is deliberate. Schools do it to prevent teachers from seeking additional income.
This must change. Schools should release teachers by 2:30 PM to allow them to pursue other income opportunities. The system must become fairer.
Private school teachers should not be trapped in financial hardship. Their demand is simple: if salaries cannot increase, then at least give them back their time.
Akeem Alao is a Lagos-based teacher and freelance journalist.
