WORLD TEACHERS DAY 2016

 

            “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”- Henry Adams.

Teachers worldwide were celebrated and appreciated on the 5th of October 2016. The 5th day of every October is set aside annually to honour teachers and the role they play in shaping future generations. The theme for 2016 was ‘Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status

The World Teachers’ Day shows the importance of engaging stakeholders like teachers in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 4 which primarily focuses on achieving inclusive education for all by 2030. On the 5th of October 2016, KIR Foundation had a tweet chat with Mr. Tammy Otonye, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teacher who had been a recipient of the Best Teacher Award at Community Secondary School, Amadi-Ama, Rivers State.
 

Below is an excerpt of the tweet chat for the complete interview. Follow our #WorldTeachersDay hashtag on our twitter handle @kirfoundation.
 

@kirfoundation: From your own perspective, do we show teachers enough appreciation in Nigeria? 

Mr. Otonye: No, we do not.
 

@kirfoundation: How can we appreciate teachers more?
 

Mr. Otonye: We should simply treat them with the respect they deserve.
 

@kirfoundation: What is the role of teachers in Nation Building?
 

Mr Otonye: The future is here already, youth and children are the future and they need to get quality education. Quality can be relative but every teacher is expected to give their best. A National orientation should also be instilled in the child in line with his or her interest and abilities.
 

@kirfoundation: There seems to be a dearth of quality teachers, what is the cause of this?
 

Mr. Otonye: The investment in education is not enough, the need for cheap labor has reduced the quality of teachers.
 

@kirfoundation: Thank you for sharing these insights with us on #WorldTeachersDay
 

Mr. Otonye: You are welcome