Education experts in Kano call for a shift in mindset toward teaching as a noble career, urging reforms in training, recruitment, and leadership

Education stakeholders in Kano State have called for a shift in public perception of the teaching profession, urging it to be recognised as a noble career rather than a fallback option.

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They made this appeal during a roundtable discussion on education quality assurance organised by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Friday.

Mijitapha Rano, one of the speakers, lamented that many people enter teaching by accident rather than passion, which ultimately affects the quality of education.

“We must embrace teaching as a profession, not as a last resort when other jobs are unavailable. The quality of education depends on the commitment of teachers, and that commitment can only come when teaching is seen as a career of choice,” Rano said.

He stressed the importance of frequent and subject-specific training to equip teachers for their roles, arguing that lumping multiple subjects into general capacity-building workshops was ineffective.

The discussion also highlighted the issue of political interference in teacher recruitment, where unqualified personnel often receive positions at the expense of competent candidates.

Stakeholders warned that this practice undermines education quality and student performance.

“Overcrowded classrooms make it difficult for teachers to provide individual attention, which affects students’ competence and the quality of graduates,” the participants noted.

A major concern raised was the appointment of education leaders without professional backgrounds in the sector.

“In the health sector, the commissioner is always a professional. Why is education treated differently?” one speaker questioned.

Professor Garba Sa’ad of Bayero University, who moderated the event, highlighted the lack of an effective quality assurance mechanism as another critical issue.

He noted that many quality assurance officers lack mobility, funding, and incentives, which hampers their ability to perform school inspections effectively.

To address these challenges, experts recommended establishing fully funded quality assurance offices in every educational zone and holding annual education quality assurance conferences.

They also called for greater community involvement in monitoring schools, asserting that education reform requires collective responsibility.