A Professor of Education has said that Nigerian teachers might have attracted the interest of the United Kingdom because they are well trained and qualified for opportunities that come their way.
Last month, the UK announced that eligible teachers in Nigeria can apply to work in schools in that territory made up of four countries — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Application for the programme (available here) starts from next Wednesday and is open to teachers in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Singapore and Ukraine.
Prof. Alabi Thomas of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State said: “The only challenge (of the Nigerian teacher) is the poor way in which the government is handling that sector. You see governors who owe salaries of teachers for months. Some don’t get promoted despite putting up years of quality service. This should also be an eye-opener for the government”.
The applicants for the UK teaching jobs do not necessarily require initial teaching qualifications as the country offers a training programme for potential migrants.
In the data for the remunerations, the UK noted: “All qualified teachers will have a starting salary of at least £28,000. This will be higher for teachers working in London. Your school will have their own pay scales for qualified teachers. Pay increases will always be linked to performance, not length of service, and will be reviewed every year”.