“There are so many teachers willing to go the extra mile, but they shouldn’t have to risk their lives. If there are supportive systems and structures in place, it gives them the tools they need to help their learners.”

Just a decade ago, Oke-Odo Senior High School in Lagos, Nigeria was one of the most underperforming, hard-to-staff schools in the country. Today, its students are excelling in international competitions, and the exam results have set the standard for other schools to follow. 

How did they get here?

Situated in the district of Alimosho, Oke-Odo is one of just four secondary schools serving an impoverished community of over 1.3 million people. It is just a few miles from two of Nigeria’s biggest markets, and one of the region’s main refuse dumps. The noise, the crowds, and the smell of rotting garbage can often be overwhelming for first-time visitors. 

But when Adeola Adefemi began teaching there in 2013, she looked past the environment and saw the potential in her students.  

“I looked into their faces, and I thought, ‘this is not their fault’. Where they were born shouldn’t affect their future. I realized how resilient they were, and I knew that I was here to spark change in them, so that they could transform their communities.”

Oke-Odo was just one of thousands of schools around the world struggling to attract qualified teachers. According to research by the Center for Global Development, schools in poor areas that perform badly are difficult to staff. Schools in high-poverty urban areas may have less discretionary funding or lack other amenities. This makes recruiting and retaining teachers—especially highly-qualified teachers—a consistent challenge.

Creating opportunities for her students to excel

Adeola didn’t allow the lack of resources at the school to negatively impact her teaching. Instead, she started several extramural clubs for poetry, writing, public speaking, debate, and drama at the school. Then she started entering her students in inter-school, state, and national competitions to build their confidence. 

Within a year, the school had won over 30 local and international competitions.

“One of the main things I did right from the beginning, was build connections with my students. Many of them come from very harsh environments. Some are the main breadwinners for their families, so they come to school in the day, and work in the market at night.

“I wanted to help my students believe in themselves and to realize that they weren’t trapped by their environment. So I started the Every Child Counts mentorship programme and the Child Not Bride campaign which uses poetry and plays to raise awareness about the dangers of female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage.

“One of my most encouraging moments was seeing a student overcome his stutter and learning difficulties to represent Nigeria at a competition in the UK,” recalls Adeola. “He won the essay competition! Now he is studying metallurgical engineering.”

“His story is motivating for me, and all my other students too. But, imagine how much more we could do with more access to resources and support?”

Obstacles to attracting teachers to hard-to-staff schools 

Besides low teacher salaries, Adeola believes there are three main obstacles that prevent qualified and passionate teachers from taking up positions in hard-to-staff schools like Oke-Odo. 

“One of the main issues is overcrowding in classrooms. It’s not just that it’s difficult to teach with such a high teacher-learner ratio, it’s the extra work that needs to be done. Teachers end up marking 1000 or more papers a week. It’s just not feasible.”

Adeola also believes that safety is a key issue when it comes to hard-to-staff schools. 

“When you teach in a school like this, there are lots of social issues and safety issues you face every day. In such an overcrowded and impoverished population, there’s a lot of violence in homes, and that comes into the classroom. I’ve had to help a number of my students report sexual abuse, and identify suitable support for them to deal with the trauma. And I have had to visit a girl’s parents to persuade them to allow her to continue her education instead of getting married. I have been at risk many times, inside and outside of school.”

Support for teachers is something that Adeola believes is critical. “We need support to do our jobs. From access to simple things like books and stationery to digital tools and social and governmental support structures.

“We carry a huge burden of responsibility for our learners. We’re not just teaching lessons, we are advocating for our students, and helping them to build better lives for themselves. We need to know that when we raise an issue - like one of my learners being raped, or forced into marriage – that it will be dealt with speedily by the authorities.

“There are so many teachers willing to go the extra mile, but they shouldn’t have to risk their lives. If there are supportive systems and structures in place, it gives us the tools we need to help our learners.”

What can be done to attract more teachers to hard-to-staff schools?

To help address the issue of overcrowding and lack of support, more government funding can be allocated to schools in poorer areas to help employ more teachers, build more classrooms, and develop more supportive structures. 

Research shows that in low-income countries, the share of public education resources that goes to the poorest children is 10%, while 38% goes to the richest. Governments need to adopt resource allocation policies that explicitly focus on the most vulnerable children. 

UNESCO-IIEP’s teacher toolkit highlights the difficulties of attracting female teachers and ensuring their safety. To help make schools a safe space for teaching and learning, school policies should tackle gender-based violence, promote a supportive peer network for teachers, and include mentorship programmes. 

The success of Adeola’s students proves that passionate teachers can help transform the lives of learners and their communities. But imagine how many more children could be reached if more was done to help meet the needs of teachers in hard-to-staff schools?

“I think the major thing every teacher wants is support - from other teachers, the head teacher, parents, the community, and the government. We need to know that we are not alone.”

Read more:

•  #TeachersTransform advocacy campaign
• Closing the gap – Ensuring there are enough qualified and supported teachers in sub-Saharan Africa

Photo credit:  Adeola Adefemi

“Over the years I have learned that we are so much more than ‘just’ teachers. We are also role models, friends, mothers, and confidants for our students.”

After working as a data analyst in Jamaica for 18 years, Sheryl Miller made the bold decision to quit her job, return to university, and study towards a degree in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). Ten years after graduating, she hasn’t looked back. 

“People always told me I would make a good teacher, so, at the age of 39, I decided it was time to change my career, and go into teaching."

Sheryl spent two years studying for her diploma, and a further four years for her degree in Early Childhood education. Today, after a decade in the early childhood sector, Sheryl is still confident that she made the right choice.

“This job can sometimes feel thankless. It requires so much of your time and energy and resources. But the reward at the end of the day is in seeing the children thrive,” says Sheryl. 

“It's not just my job, it’s my profession”

According to UNICEF, early childhood education forms the foundation of high-quality basic education. It helps children develop critical numeracy and literacy skills as well as the social and emotional skills they need to succeed in life.  

“Over the years I have learned that we are so much more than ‘just’ teachers. We are also role models, friends, mothers, and confidants for our students. Sometimes they tell us things that are happening at home, and we need to take action and intervene for their safety. Sometimes they just need a hug, or encouragement.”

ECCE teachers and schools face a number of obstacles

While early childhood education is recognized as a critical foundation for every child, ECCE teachers still face many obstacles around the world. 

“We try to make our lessons as interactive as possible to capture the attention of the three, four, and five-year-olds. They learn by touching, seeing, tasting… and to do this, we need resources. Teachers often end up purchasing things like stationery, books and learning materials out of their own pockets. In my classroom, I buy many of the resources for our science area and literacy corner.

“I joined the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Early Childhood Committee so that I can help lobby for teachers, and raise awareness about our lack of access to support and resources.”

Teachers need more recognition and respect for their commitment to education

According to Sheryl, another obstacle for the ECCE sector is a general lack of recognition of the importance of foundational learning. 

“Sometimes parents see you as just a ‘babysitter’. But you have to remind yourself that you are not there for the adults. You are there for the students. 

“Just as children progress through crawling, creeping, standing, moving around, and walking step by step, early childhood education is the same. We guide them through the steps of learning their letters and numbers, shapes and colours.”

Sheryl believes that although the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted learning, it also had some positive outcomes. 

“It helped parents realize how important early childhood education is. When they supervised their children during online lessons, it was the first time that they really saw what we do, and how we do it. It helped build an even more trusting relationship between parents and teachers,” says Sheryl. 

Although they may have received more support and respect from parents during the pandemic, many early learning teachers had to devise their own strategies, and use their own resources to help their students continue learning during lockdowns. 

UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report on Non-State Actors in Education found that only  55% of countries provided pre-primary school teachers with instructions to ensure learning continuity during the pandemic, compared with nearly 70% of countries for other levels of education. 

COVID-19 also highlighted the need for governments to invest in equipping schools with resources and technology

“Many children lost out on education during the lockdowns, as they didn’t have access to devices, or data. And when children returned to school, we noticed that literacy and numeracy levels declined,” says Sheryl. 

The social-distancing rules also forced many schools to reduce the number of children in the classroom. 

“In Jamaica, social distancing rules are still in place. So, some students haven’t been able to return to school as the affordable institutions are full, and parents don’t have the resources to enroll them in alternative schools.”

The pandemic also led to widespread teacher burnout, and resignations 

“To encourage teachers to stay, and continue transforming education at this level, we need more financial support and resources. We need to ensure teachers have more respect and recognition for the work that they do,” says Sheryl.

UNESCO is organizing the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 14-16 November, to reaffirm member states’ commitment to supporting “the right of every young child to quality care and education from birth”. 

Read more:

•  #TeachersTransform advocacy campaign

Photo credit:  Sheryl Miller