IMPORTANT ROLES OF TEACHING AS A PROFESSION

Teaching:

The concept teaching is variously defined by both expert and non-experts because it is found in all
spheres of our life. For instance, teaching is carried out by the farmer, parents, clergymen, seamstress,
mechanics, and coaches and so on. The focus of our discussion is on the activities of people who are
professionally trained and their calling are professionally trained and by their calling are specialist in
teaching job. Teaching is an attempt by the teacher to help learners acquire knowledge, values, skills
and attitudes. It involves the shaping of behaviour and to make a permanent change in the behaviour,
skills and attitudes of those subjected to it. The teacher however is the facilitator who always inspires
learners to learn.

To Ikedugwu (2005) teaching is an organized, systematic and rational process of transmitting

knowledge, values, skills and attitude in accordance with the professional laid down principles. This
implies that there is an interaction in which the teacher guides the learner into acquiring skills and
needed information for adequate living in the society.

Mkpa (2009) also described teaching as an activity consisting of a body of “actors intended to induce
learning through the conscious and deliberate efforts of a matured and experienced person to impact
knowledge, values and skills to an immature individual. This shows that the there is deliberate and
conscious interaction between the teacher and the learner designed to bring about change in behaviour
of the learner, and the teacher is that professional who does the act.

Teaching however requires intellectual ability, conducive environment and adequate communication
for learning to take place. It is the teachers responibity to create an enabling environment which
facilitates learning. This is done by motivating and arousing their desires to learn, providing opportunity
for them to ask questions so as to obtain information. Teaching is associated with learning. Both cannot
be separated. For a learner to learn, the teacher must be there to guide the learning experiences
through planned activities.

Basic principles of teaching

1. Stating objectives: The purpose of teaching is to help an individual acquire basic knowledge,
values and skills that will enable him/her function effectively in the society. Objectives are the
descriptions of what the learner should be able to do after being exposed to classroom
instruction. The teacher in the process of planning his lesson should specify clearly the
objectives he intends to achieve. Stating the objectives enables him to determine the scope of
the content, the learning experiences and the materials to use. Objectives which are usually
stated in learners behavioural terms must be measurable and attainable within a given lesson
period.
2. Systematic arrangement of the subject matters: A teacher must possess good mastery of
his/her subject and must properly organize the material and content to be learned in a
meaningful and logical sequence so as to facilitate learning. The concept to be taught should be
 arranged in such a way that teaching proceeds from known to unknown, simple to complex.
New concepts should also relate to what the learner already knows. This help in fostering
learning.
3. Make learning real: The teacher must as a matter of necessity make learning to be real. He
does this by relating what he/she is teaching to the learners’ experimental background and also
shows the experiences can be applied to real life situation.
4. Learners active participation: Teaching demands that for teaching to become effective, the
learner must be made active participant. Their participation is necessary because it is what their
leader does that he learns and not what he does. This entails allowing them to ask or answer
questions, make contributions, seek clarification or inform the teacher when they are not
following the lesson.
5. Use of appropriate instructional materials: Instructional materials are gadgets, tools,
equipments etc. Which the teacher employs to guide the student to observe and study in order
to make learning more meaningful and interesting. There are some of them that appeal to the
sense of sight, hearing, smell, feeling and so on. Any type of material used by the teacher at any
given situation depends on the subject matter to be taught, the nature of the learner as well as
the stated instructional objectives. The teacher should emphasize the use of visual materials for
they help to arrest and sustain learner’s interest and as well makes learning interesting,
concrete and real.
6. Finding things for themselves: Learners should be helped and encouraged to think, explore and
learn in their own way.
7. Creating conducive learning environment: This ensures that classroom should be learner
friendly, well ventilated, seats, desks and tables well arranged. In addition, the teacher should
learn to use motivation, create harmonious relationship among pupils, control noise,
unwarranted movement, fighting and playing during lesson as these does not promote
successful teaching and learning.

Teacher

The teacher is the person whom the society delegate the ducation of the children to in a formal
setting. He is specifically selected trained and educated for the job of dispensing knowledge to others
according to their needs and capabilities. He is the mediator between the learner and the object of
knowledge. The teacher is one who guides people through planned activities so that they may acquire
the richest learning possible from their experiences.

Teaching requires expertise which only the professionally prepared and educated teacher can deliver. To
qualify as teacher and to adequately meet the ever changing demands of their learners, teachers have
remained perpetual learners through retaining and updating knowledge in teacher education
programmes. Teaching is however an occupation in which one engages having undergone a specified
period of training in teacher.
 Professional requirements of a teacher

For a person to become a professional teacher he/she must possess these requirements according
Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) established in 1993.

I. Passing a qualified acceptable by the council and complete the practical teaching prescribed by
the council under the Act.
II. Being of good character
III. Have attained the age of twenty-one
IV. Not having been convicted in Nigeria or elsewhere of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty
V. For a foreigner, he/she must hold a qualification granted outside Nigeria which for the time
being is recognized the TRCN and is by law entitled to practice the profession in the country in
which the qualification was gained provided that the other country accords Nigeria professional
teachers the same reciprocal treatment and that the he satisfied the council that he/she had
sufficient practical experience as a teacher.

Categorization of teachers

According to TRCN, teachers are categorized as follows:

A class: These are holders of PhD in Education or PhD in other fields plus (PGDE or NCE)

B class: Holders of Masters in education or Masters in other fields plus education (PGDE or NCE)

C class: Holders of Bachelors Degree in Education or in other fields plus (PGDE or NCE)

D class: Holders of Nigerian certificate in education (NCE) or its equivalent.

NOTE: The least qualification for teaching in Nigeria is NCE

Teachers day is celebrated every 5th October of each year.

Important roles of teaching as a profession

Teaching is the most desirable profession nowadays. The importance of the teaching profession
includes: fun and learning together. Being in the teaching profession doesn’t mean you have to share
your knowledge. Sometimes, teachers themselves learn something new with teaching experience.

Teachers play a vital role in students life by helping them achieve their goals. Choosing the teaching
profession offers endless career opportunities.

Some important roles of teaching include:

1. Improves communication skills:

 Teaching is a systematic technique to communicate with more and more people. Thus, being
in the teaching profession will improve communication skills. As a result, one can interact more
confidently with others.
2. Increase knowledge and skills:
Teachers are the only people who passion their knowledge and skill to the young generation.
Through this profession, teachers motivate and inspire students to focus and develop their
natural abilities.
3. A learner itself:
As learning has no boundaries, one can never stop learning. In the teaching profession also,
the teacher can learn at any stage and age too. An adage; “Lamp can never light another lamp
unless it continues to burn its own flame; same as a teacher can never teach unless he/she is a
learner”. Through teaching, the teacher translates various educational programmes into action
at the classroom level.

4. Fun and learn together:

Among all careers and professions, teaching seems to be better. Roles of teaching are that
one can experience fun and learn together in teaching professions. Besides instructing students
teachers can as well be involved in other curriculum activities.
5. Experience to handle different children: Schools is a place where different students with
different mindset stay. The teacher must have the ability to handle all the children with different
individual difference/normal, intelligent, physically challenged etc.
6. Build future leaders: Teachers are the source of influencing tomorrow’s leaders. Teachers
create classroom space and enable students to be educated to become future responsible
leaders. Through teaching, good traits of honesty reliability, good judgement, self control and
diligence are imparted to the students. Through teaching, the teacher decides what kind of
people students shall be. Owing to the close and continued interaction of the class teacher with
his students, the teacher exerts a great influence on them. The teacher does not only impart
knowledge, skills and information to them, but also unconsciously transfers his manners,
attitudes and conducts to them. These sills and competences transferred promote self-
employment and self-sufficiency on the part of the children when they leave school. Again the
teacher and the quality of his teaching determine the extent of the national development in
Nigeria. Teaching as a process can promote or hinder a nation. The quality of the teachers and
their inputs into the development of the instructional system influence the quality of graduates
produces at the levels of the Nigerian educational system. Apart from academic training,
teachers facilitate the normal upbringing of the students.

TEACHING PROFESSION.
A profession is any occupation which demand of its practitioner a prolonged and specialized
intellectual and acquisition of special skill and attitude necessary for their particular type of
service in the community as well as a recognized association for the welfare of both its members
and the public. Indeed, it is a calling in which one profess to have acquired some special
knowledge used by way of either instructing, guiding or advising others.
 Ezeani (2006) defined a profession as a calling or occupation in which one engages having
undergone a specified period of training for acquisition of both academic excellence and specific
skills.
From these definitions, it becomes clear that a profession requires advanced education and
special training. That is why any person is usually regarded as professional in that field. For any
occupation to qualify as a profession, it must possess an identified characteristic like: possession
of some peculiar knowledge by members, existence of a professional organization, control of
entry into such a profession and so on.
The characteristics include:
• A unique body of knowledge
• Standard of entry
• Specialized skills
• Autonomy
• Sanctioning organization
• Code of ethics
• In-service and professional growth
• High social status
• Certificate of licence to practice.

Is teaching a profession?

Having dealt with the characteristics of a profession, in general, we will try to compare the
characteristics of a profession to those of teaching to see the extent teaching qualifies to be regarded as
a profession. First, on the issue of a unique body of knowledge, by the members, teaching has standard
qualification and specified training programmes that should prepare entrants into the profession. There
are teachers training colleges and faculties in universities training and certification.

As regards to control of entry, teaching is a free-for-all profession. The presence of teachers without
educational qualification is still being felt in the job of teaching. It is no strange seeing a graduate of
engineering teaching in secondary school.

On the issue of autonomy, teaching lacks independence which ensures that growth and effectiveness of
a profession. Other professions has freedom to take decision without much interference from outside
but teaching is solely controlled and financed by the government through the ministry of education who
design what and how it should be taught.

On the issue of a profession having sanctioning organization, one may say that Nigeria Union of
Teachers (NUT) is one of such organization for primary and secondary schools teachers in Nigeria. Apart
from NUT, there are other numerous associations like STAN, MAN, ASONT and so on. All these
associations in teaching make it difficult for them to speak with one voice unlike the Nigeria Medical
Association and others.
The criteria of ethics when used to determine what constitute a profession hurt like status of teaching in
Nigeria. Ethical responsibilities refer to moral duties expected of a teacher to his pupils, parents,
community, employer and profession. It is clear that these moral duties are not fully enforced in
teaching profession due to the presence of unqualified members who joined the profession as a last
resort with the aim of jumping out at the last opportunity for a better job with higher pay.

On in-service and professional growth, teaching provides opportunities for serving teachers to acquire
knowledge and skill for the teachers improvement.

Another salient issue is the low status accorded to teaching probably because of the calibre of entrants
and lack of autonomy.

On the issue of certification, certification provides those in other profession with the hence to practice
but such is not the same in teaching. There is no single examination organized fir test of competence to
ascertain who is qualified and who is not qualified to teach. It is of recent that teachers with education
qualifications can apply for certification from TRCN and certificate duly issued to them.

Based on the forgoing, it is clear that teaching is not a fully fledged profession but would qualify as a
semi-profession because of their inability to measure up with the characteristics of a profession.

Obstacles to full professionalization of teaching

• Lack of autonomy
• Presence of unqualified teachers in teaching profession
• Financial status of teaching
• Lack of professional recognition by the public
• Government attitude to its policy
• Fragmentation of teachers into many different associations etc.
1. Lack of autonomy: Teaching lack of autonomy. Government still maintained strict control,
training, recruitment and dismissal of teachers. This is because teaching was registered as a
trade union through which workers negotiate with management in event of any satisfactory
state of affairs. Some other professionals register as professional associations which are self
regulating and are being controlled by their professional associations through. Teacher
Registration Council has been established to control and regulate the affairs of teachers they are
still controlled by the government. As long as teaching profession remains dependent and un-
autonomous, they cease to be professionals.
2. Presence of Unqualified Teachers: Unqualified teachers still exists in teaching irrespective of the
threat from the government to push out any teacher without educational qualification from the
system. Up till now, nothing about that has been done. Even during recruitment exercise some
without educational qualification got teaching appointment probably because they have
relations in government. This cannot be possible in legal profession because a graduate of law
cannot appear in court until he/she under goes a course of training at the law school. With the
infiltration of non-professionals in teaching, application of teacher’s code of ethics becomes
 from paying a lip service. Not until teaching profession desist from recruiting those without
educational qualification; it will continue to have adverse effect on the profession.
3. Financial Status of Teaching: It is common belief that the salary level enjoy by a particular
profession is partly a measure of the esteem in which the profession is held in the entire society.
In Nigeria, teachers are poorly paid compared to those in other professions. At times salaries are
delayed, necessary benefits not paid. This accounts why some use teaching as a stepping stone
to other occupations. Though it is better these days; it cannot be compared to other professions
where the client pay for the service rendered to his/her. Some who remained in the job are
there because they have no alternatives. Their movement at will due to poor remunerations
made people doubt whether teaching is a profession. For a profession is known for permanency.
4. Non-functional Code of Ethics: Code of professional but most teachers do not adhere to it. This
could be attributed to the infiltration of non-professionals in teaching who have no regard for
what is going on there and thus are uncommitted. Even among the professionals, there are
some teachers, due to lack of autonomy, poor conditions of service and non-regards for
teaching are just there waiting for a least opportunity to leave a better job. This lack of
commitment makes them often to go against the ethical code of teaching, and yet attract no
disciplinary actions thus bringing to an increase the rate of indiscipline behaviours among
teachers.
5. Lack of Professional Recognition by the Public: Teachers in the developing countries of the
world are neither regarded nor are they part of those awarded national honours in the country.
There had been instances in the past where it was difficult and even shameful to be introduced
as a teacher. This is a result of the fact that teachers are neither well paid nor are their salaries
paid on time. This lack of respect, recognition and poor treatment meted out to teachers will in
no small measure dampen the moral of would be teachers thus affected the number of persons
willing to take of teaching. It is only of recent that people rush into teacher education.
Institutions as a last resort due to the increase in number of students seeking admission into
higher institution. Though teachers of the present are quite comforted compared to those of the
past yet that intuition about teachers remained through gradually fading out.
6. Government Attitude of its policy: Basically government has come up with plans that will bring
change toward professionalizing teaching. Those plans range from according the status of a
profession to teaching in education system, threatening to dismiss those who refuse to update
their certificate; and establishment of Teacher Registration Council to regulate and control,
education and to maintain National Register of Teachers, determine what standards of
knowledge and skills are to be attained by those seeking to become a registered teachers. These
plans are actuated but existence of teachers without educational institutions but no action has
been taken either by the government or the TRCN. Also government’s inability to register NUT
as a professional organization and yearly poor budgetary allocation to education are hindrances
to non-professionalization of teaching.
7. Fragmentation of Teachers into many different Association: Existence of different association
in teaching like; Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) the all Nigerian Conference of
Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS), Committee of Provosts of Colleges of Education
(CPCOE), Association of Nigerian Teachers (ASONT) etc. Makes it difficult for teachers to speak
 with one voice on issue that concerns them. Most of them owe their loyalty fist to their local
associations before thinking of N.U.T which the National body.

Strategies of Professionalization of Teaching in Nigeria

To effectively complete the process of professionalizing teaching in Nigeria, Yusuf, Afolabi, and
Oyetola (2014) suggest that the government, Teachers Organizations and teachers should adopt the
following strategies.

Government Strategies

i. Immediate commencement of work by the teacher Registration Council of Nigeria.

ii. Federal government of Nigeria should provide what it takes for TRCN established accreditation,
certification, promotion, development, discipline and making registrations to control the
practice of teaching to commence work with immediate effect. They should work together with
the state Teachers Registration Council in every state of the federation to ensure full
professionalization of teaching.
iii. Government should also make provisions for the professional growth of teachers through
periodic in-service education and this should be sponsored by the government.
iv. They should as a matter of fact introduce unified service conditions for all categories of
teacher’s throughout the country. This includes a unified salary such as the much agitated
Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) specially designed for teachers to enhance their remuneration
and welfare package.
v. Government should enforce that NCE should be the minimum teaching qualification and
provide opportunity for the serving teachers with TC II certificate to upgrade through in-service
training.
vi. Government should make concerted efforts towards modernizing teacher education
programme by introducing courses like media and other communication courses, computer
science, classroom management, instructional technology etc in the teacher education
programme to promote capacity building and identification, improvisation and utilization of
resources for effective teaching and learning in the classroom.
vii. They should review the duration of teaching practice exercise from a minimum of 24 weeks to
one year (1). This will promote professional development and proper orientation and
adjustment of the trainee teachers to school setting.

Strategies by Teachers Organization

i. They must be fully represented and actively involved, in all activities that concern teachers and
work relentlessly to safeguard the autonomy inherent in the status of teaching.
ii. They should strictly enforce members compliance with professional codes of ethics
iii. Teacher’s organization must inspire their members to develop and maintain professional culture
and refrain from unethical values.
 iv. The organization should work co-operatively with the government in the provision of staff
development programme such as in-service education, workshops, seminars, on-the job training
schemes and vacation programmes for teachers.
v. They should restrict none but members who are properly trained entry into teaching
vi. They should ensure that only students with high jamb score are admitted into teacher education
institution.

Strategies by Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN)

i. Building strong foundation for professional consciousness and commitment for young teaching
professional through induction of graduates in education disciplines at the point of graduation.
ii. They should co-operate with the ministry of Education, University of Education and other
educational stakeholders to establish a Doctoral degree in Education
iii. TRCN should ensure that only qualified graduates from educational institutions should be
offered appointment to teach.
iv. They should agree with the government on uniformed salary for teachers; in addition there
should be an agreed yearly increment to take care of inflationary trends in the economy.

In addition, since there are proliferation of teacher associations which made them to speak with one
voice, there should be only one associations should have legal backing and also be service oriented to
enable them enforce teachers commitment to his students, parents, community, employer and
profession as stipulated in the Teachers Service Manual and also discipline any member who exhibit any
kind of professional misconduct.

Advantages of Professionalizing Teaching

In the previous section we discussed the obstacles to full professionalization of teaching. These
obstacles created a gap in teaching being regarded as a profession. It is necessary to professionalize
teaching so that teachers will enjoy the benefits from the same opportunities open to other profession
other benefits include:

i. Job Security: Professionalization of teaching assures teachers of adequate maximum security.

They will enjoy all the benefits accrued to a profession. Government will; cease to interfere on
the issue concerning teachers. They will be fulfilled and committed to their job, and will no
longer jump in and out of the job for a better one.
ii. Ethics of teaching profession will be honoured: Any unethical behaviour attracts disciplinary
action as spelt out in the ethics of the profession by the professional association.
iii. The entire public will come to respect and have regards for teaching: They will accord the kind
of respect they have for other professions to teaching.
iv. Professionalization of teaching will lead to formation of a broad-based nations association that
will register qualified teachers in all levels of education ranging from primary to tertiary
institution. The association will regulate standards of entry into teaching to ensure that none
expect those with educational qualification are admitted.
 v. Professionalization of teaching makes room for improved conditions of service also attract
dignity.
vi. It will provide opportunity for teachers already on the job but are not trained for the job to
enrol in in-service training to upgrade their knowledge.

Conclusion

Professionalizing teaching in Nigeria is very necessary in this chapter, concept of profession,

characteristics of a profession, teaching as a profession obstacles to full professionalization of teaching
strategies and need for professionalization of teaching were examined. Among the obstacle of full
professionalization of teaching include; poor remuneration, lack of control or entry, low status and
viable teacher association, short period of training lack of autonomy, non-functional code of ethics and
poor academic qualification and performance strategies for the professionalization of teaching were
identified. Also discussed were the benefits that will be enjoyed by teachers if teaching is
professionalized.

Ethical Issues in Education

Education is used when the individual members of a particular society are being inculcated with the
required norms and values of the society to make them adapt to it. It can also refer to as an act of
socializing the younger members of the society so that they can actively participate in the affair of
things. And like Amaele (2011, pg.5) would say “education is exclusively used for the development of
human beings in the cognitive affective, psycho-motive domains. According to him, “education involves
a desirable change in human behaviour through the process of teaching and learning. This means that
the development which must emanate from education should be all-round in the life of the individual,
touching every aspect of the individual’s life.

This means that for one to be described as being educated, such fellow should exhibit desirable
behaviour. The behaviour that must confirm to the norms and value of the society in which they inhabit.

Fafunwa,(1974) described education as the process by which society deliberately transmits its
accumulated knowledge, values and skills from one generation to the next through institutions and
instructions. From these definitions, it means education is as old as man itself. Education has followed
various patterns in different communities all through the ages. That is to say; every society, whether
simple or complex, has its own system for training and education its youths. According to Fafunwa, the
goal of any educational system be it traditional or western is to develop in the young adults, ‘the
abilities, attitudes and other forms of behaviour that are of positive value to the society in which they
live.

Consequent to this, a good or bad educational system is judged based on its ability to carry out the
afore-mentioned goal.

Education makes man to be useful to the society. It involves character moulding for the good of the
individuals and the society in general. Education equips and individual to earn his livelihood. This view is
pertinent because man has to do the necessary so as to ensure his living. In the process of this, he needs
not only his physical but also his intellectual abilities and power so as to conquer his world. Hence he is
taught on health-matters, social relations and other vital disciplines that will prepare him for the
challenges of life.

Again education plays the role of conforming individuals to the changing environment they live in. Some
of the role which education play in human life includes:

• To earn a livelihood
• Development of personality.
• Intellectual development
• Social development
• Cultural development
• Individual development
• Physical development etc.

Indeed all through the ages, education has been considered as a necessity to national development. A
good educational system reforms the people who in turn reform the entire society. A good educational
process emancipates the people from the shackles of primitivism and takes them to the golden land of
modernity.

The educational sector breeds all the man power that occupies the other sectors of the economy, be it
political, sports, commerce and industry, religion and so on.

Education equip the personnel to uphold these essential sectors in the economy transmitting in them
the required knowledge needed to make them stand in the area of their chosen career.

From the fore-going, it follows that education is very essential to any society. So a good and quality
education should be the desire of any society that aimed at attaining development.

In our country Nigeria, the present status of education is not promising as it should be because it is
facing a lot challenges ranging from violence, poverty, corruption, unemployment, political instability,
unaccountability and so on. All these societal menace listed above shows that Nigeria is in great need of
quality education and everything possible should be done to bring it to the same footing step with her
western counter-part. So as to achieve its designed goal.

In Nigeria, the government of the different administration has not done much to uplift our education
standard to a desired status. Evidence can be seen in our various yearly budgets allotted to the
education sector.

Despite the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 26% benchmark
budgetary allocation to education. Nigeria in recent years dangles between 6.7% allocations to
education (making education having its way at the bottom position). While in America, education takes
the lead ahead of other sectors in the economy. Ideally, Nigeria government has not prioritized
education to bring it to its rightful position in the economy. And until that is done, the nation will
continue to be dwindling. The cause of “disabled education in Nigeria is the failure of our successive
governments to capture the price or negative side effects of western civilizations and solve them as the
originators have been doing in the management of our educational and development policies. When
serious and pragmatic steps are given all these problems will be a meliorate.

A good educational process brings out the moral worth of the individual as a moral and rational agent,
but when the educational process negates its set goal, the morality of the citizens are negatively
affected. Hence we have cases or robbery, kidnapping, insurgence and other social and political crises
from different quarters of the country.

If then becomes obvious that a good ethical and cultural solution will be necessary for effective
educational standard in Nigeria.

Ethics/Ethical Issues

Ethics as a concept has not been easy to conceptualize because; many have described it based on their
opinion and view. While some scholars view it as the determination of an action whether good or bad,
right or wrong, others sum these to say that it deals with the evaluation of human conduct.

Amaele (2000 p.18) made it more broad when he revealed that “ethics is the study of human behaviour
as it pertains to goodness and badness of such behaviour.” He reveals that ethics cut-across almost all
other disciplines. Ethical value is therefore regarded as the rules, principles and guidelines which aid the
conduct of individual actions towards maintaining the standard of the organization.

To Omoregbe, (1993, pp 3-4) revealed that ethics “is the systematic study of the norms of human
behaviour and the purpose of studying these norms is to ensure that human behaviour conforms to
them. In a nutshell, the study of ethics means studying the principle of morality which its purpose is not
just for studying sake but to adapt to it.

From the fore-going, ethical values stand as a guide or principle to make choice of what is right or good
and shun that which is wrong or evil in our living. This we will agree is also what education is out to
achieve. It is based on this that Peters (1966) sees education as a process by which the individuals are
initiated into what is worth-while. Ethics involves the inculcation of all forms of good and acceptable
behaviour that will conform to the norms and values of that particular society.

Ethical Issues in Nigerian Education

Ethical issues that are common in Nigerian education include:

1. Fairness and Equity: To be fair in education simply connotes that every individual be giving such
treatment that he or she deserves in the educational process. There should be fair treatment to
every member of his/her class in the course of the teaching and learning process; there should
be no discrimination of any kind.
 The issue of fairness and equity is very important in all aspects of our educational process. In the
admission process of the pupils, the authorities are expected to be fair in the selection and placement of
the individuals. In the classroom, the teacher is expected to be fairing his dealings with the students. For
instance, in the teaching process, questions should be asked randomly. Examination or test when given
and marked should be able to reflect the teacher’s good sense of fairness and equity. Even in the
teacher’s relationship with the pupils, good sense of fairness should be demonstrated. The teacher
should not consider some of his students to be more admirable and acceptable than others. Any act of
unfairness by the teacher will be counterproductive to the educational process.

When fairness and equity are adequately demonstrated in our (Nigeria) educational system and by the
teachers in the classrooms, maximum output is bound to be achieved.

2. Power and Authority: Power and Authority are basic concepts that are common in our modern
society and also reflect as ethical issues in our educational system. These concepts are separate
through related in any organization. We shall treat them one at a time.
• Power:
Power is viewed in terms of human relationship. It can be seen as one’s ability to influence
others in their opinion. In their opinion, behaviour or attitudes in some issues. Peters (1966)
revealed that “power” has to do with the ways in which a person subjects others to abide by his
will by means of physical compulsion. Such physical compulsion can be; infliction of pain,
restriction of movement or by psychological coercion (withholding of food, water, shelter and so
on).
Exercise of power is not totally bad. In some situation, power is enforced to achieve a desirable
end, correction or even to sustain justice in the society. In the school environment, the teacher
exercises power to make his students carry out a particular task or assignment given to them so
as to induce learning.
When power is viewed from this angle, it becomes something good or ethical/moral concept.
Caution should be applied in the use of power in the educational system so as to achieve the set
objectives.
• Authority
Authority is different from power but is related in their usage. Authority from the “original
Latin word “authoritas” means originating, producing and inventing in the sphere of comes
when rights are made to one to carry out a particular function for the good of the entire
organization group or society. Its establishment is for the well being of the society or group.
In school, especially (public schools), authority is backed by legal establishment from the
government. Consequent on this, any challenge of such teacher’s authority will be met by
reference to the law.
The teacher is seen as an authority in the class and among his students. He stands as an
authority figure in both the senses of knowledge and of the students. He is seen as an authority
to carry out certain duty for the community as well as maintaining social control in the school.
Alongside with this, the teacher according Peters (1966) in must also stand as authority on some
aspect of the people’s culture which he/she is employed to transmit knowledge.
 Most often, the authority of the teacher in the schools system is relegated to the background
either by students or the parents. This occurs mostly by those wealthy parents who influence
the teachers with their wealth and positions in the society. They dictate how their
children/wards should be treated or disciplined; and if they could not have their way; the
teacher becomes their victim. Their children often disregarded the authority of the teachers.
There are cases where teachers and other school authorities have been assaulted by students
and sometimes by parents in and outside the school environment but the government and the
society who vested the authority on the teachers does little or nothing about it to back them up.
Some teachers at times become the architect of their own misfortune by misusing their
authority to molest students. Some even engage in illicit affairs to satisfy their urge and
committing other atrocities against their job ethics. Some male teachers get involved in
drunkenness that results to misbehaviour in the community where they should stand as a role-
model. When the power and authority vested on teachers are adequately used, the objectives
of educational system will surely be achieved.
3. Justice and Injustice
In Nigerian society, the education of the child is of outmost importance. It is on those bases that
government makes budget to that very sector, recruits staff and pay them for their services and
supervise their activities. Parents on their own part, contribute either in cash or kind to the
smooth existence of the educational institution by paying necessary fees demanded by the
authorities for their children to benefit in the teaching learning process. Consequently, it is
expected that the theory of justice will come into play when the teachers who are vital factor
deliver the confidence imposed on them by the government, parents and even the students. It
will be a kind of injustice when they fail to deliver thus denying students their right to receive
adequate education.
Ethics demands the teacher in the school takes responsibility to forestall justice and inculcating
them to the students. This he do by exhibiting such attitude that portrays fairness in his
dealings. He must carry out his assignment equitably, teaching the right things to the students,
not seeing one group as more important to others. He must be a role-model in the classroom
exhibiting a just and unquestionable character. Any attempt by the teacher aimed at stalling his
official duty of teaching and educating the child will be injustice. The child must be taught as he
is due to have it. If for any reason teacher’s role were hated as a result of non-payment of
his/her remunerations, and that may result to industrial action, justice demands the teacher to
do everything possible to make up for the lost period when normally is restored.
4. Freedom as an Ethical Concept in Education:
Freedom guarantees an individual to do things, go to the kind of school he likes, choose the
course he wants to study, move anywhere, discuss and express himself without infringement. In
education process, freedom of education is very relevant to move the society forward. Such
freedom guarantees all or many the access to educational potentials. When they are not
restrained by huddle of any kind, the gap between the “haves and the “have not” will be
drastically reduced.
5. Responsibility
 Being responsible entails an individual taking his/her duties, obligation or promises seriously. In
educational institutions ethics demands that teachers should be responsible/accountable for
every action taken and also live up to his duty. On the other hand, the government should as a
matter of fact pay, promote and remunerate the teachers as at when due so as to continue to
earn the good services of the teacher.
6. Reward, Punishment and Discipline
Reward according to the Oxford English Dictionary is a thing that you are given because you
worked hard or done something good. In the same vein, when an individual does something
bad or did not carry out an assignment in an effective manner, it attracts punishment.
Punishment comes as an opposite reward. Just as the essence of reward is to motivate an
individual to put more effort in doing a particular job so is punishment given to discourage
unruly behaviour.
In schools, both students and teachers should be rewarded to achieve maximum productivity.
When a student is performing well, he or she should be rewarded to boast his/her hard work. It
will also encourage indolent ones to emulate hard work. Teachers are encouraged from time to
time to reward such students not necessarily in cash but appreciating them by exempting them
from labour, clapping for them, giving them exercise books, pen rulers and so on.
In the same vein, a performing teacher should as well be rewarded while the erring ones
punished so as to make the education process an enterprising one. Promotion in the teaching
profession which is one of the strategies in rewarding the teachers should be consistent and
prompt so as to enhance productivity routine supervision should be conducted from time to
time to check erring teacher and staff.
Discipline is a moral concept that also surface in the educational venture. It means subduing the
animal nature in us to uphold that rational part of us. In the words of Mbagwu, J.U. (2018), to
be disciplined as an individual simply means to have control over that animalistic nature in us.
Our inability to do that makes people tag us as an indiscipline man. Man as a rational being
ought to control his passion for food, pleasure, sex, money and other material things of life.
As an educated man, such material things should not be allowed to rule you. Education involves
learning and all learning involves discipline, so education necessarily involves discipline. Must
often students, teachers and other staff in education sector exhibit some indisciplinary acts
such as stealing, sorting, fighting, bribery, sexual harassment, lateness to school and so on.
To solve the issue of indiscipline in educational sector, ethics demands that the leaders and
relevant and authorities should inculcate the virtue of discipline in all concerned so that the
objectives of education will be achieved.
7. Equality and Inequality in Education
Equal education in Nigeria seems unrealistic because in Nigeria, the population density is not
evenly spread and some ethnic groups are more and others less populated. Even among some
of these groups, we may have people from smaller ethnic group having more curiosity for
education those others from the larger ethnic groups.
More so, having access to common (public) examination some learners may be privileged to
have access to texts books, competent and qualified teachers, as well as good educational
facilities that enhance learning while some may not (especially those in the rural areas.
 Clamouring for equal educational opportunity in Nigeria, is a result of its importance to the
society but educational equality cannot be attained because individuals have their uniqueness
and peculiarities therefore treating all men the same will mean expressing inequality in their
treatment. Ethics demands for equal access for education attainment where individual personal
traits and uniqueness should be taken into consideration.

References

Mbagwu, J.U. (2018) “Ethical Issues in Nigerian Education: A philosophical Rejoinder. International
Journal of Scientific Research in Education. Vol 11 (3) 357-357-371.

Amaele, S (2000) Moral and Religious Values in Nigerian Education: A contemporary Analysis.
University of Port Harcourt press.

Ololube, N.P. (2012). Sociology of education and society: An interactive approach. New Owerri
Spring Field Publishers

Omoregbe, J.I. (1993) Ethics: A systematic and historical study. Joja Educational Research and
publisher.

Fafunwa,A.B. (1974) History of Education in Nigeria. NPS Educational Publishers.