By Maria Famakinwa

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Mrs Olukade (not real name), a former private school teacher turned moi moi seller along Ijoka road in Akure, Ondo State capital, started the business reluctantly last year during the six months lock down occasioned by COVID-19 when most private school teachers were not paid their salaries. The woman, a National Certificate of Education (NCE) holder has refused to resume to her working place after the lock down, sticking to her moi moi business.
She said the lock down was a blessing in disguise for her to discover where her fortune lies. She disclosed that she now makes times two of her monthly salary as profits within two weeks, aside having enough time for herself and family.
Olukade is not the only private school teachers who have abandoned teaching to start their own business investigation revealed that most private schools now place adverts for vacancies at the front of their school gates for qualified and committed teachers. Mrs Omolara’s story was not different from that of Olukade, who also abandoned working as a private school teacher for selling egg rolls and doughnuts at a motor park in Akure. According to her, the decision was taken when her monthly take home was not sufficient for the home again. According to her, “Before the country was locked down last year, my salary was not regular and I have three children including my mother who was with me. The burden was too much for my husband and I to bear. I was still begging my proprietor for my full salary before the country was locked down. It was then I thought of my catering skill. I started with buns and later added dough nuts as the business continue to grow.
“Though I resumed where I was teaching after the lock down, the treatment was bad. As an NCE holder, my salary then was not up to N25,000. I put so many things into consideration and I concluded with my husband that the best thing to do was to resign and face my catering business squarely. Today, I sell cakes, egg rolls, doughnut and soft drinks at motor parks and I am better off than when I was a private school teacher with little or nothing to show for the salaries collected, except accumulated debts. Some of my friends who were also teaching in private schools have left to start their own businesses.”
Also, another teacher of a private school who simply gave her name as Eunice said that she did not resume back to the school where she was teaching after the lock down, because she was left alone by her employer during the difficult time. Her words: “The way I was treated discouraged me from going back to the school. Infact, I am tired of teaching in private schools because the salary is being determined by the situation at that particular time. My skill to make beautiful hair styles for people was my saving grace throughout the duration of the lock down. I weave and fix hair for customers at the back of my house. People patronise me because my charges are moderate, since I don’t pay for shop rent. Realising that I made more money than my salary before month end and had time to do other things, I quit private teaching job. Just two months ago, I added tomatoes and peppers which have increased my sale. In fact, if I have been treated well as a private school teacher, I would not have thought of starting my own business. Two teachers from the school had also toed my path.” she said.
Sharing a similar view, another private school teacher, who simply gave his name as Kenneth, revealed that he did not spend up to eight months in the school before he left. Kenneth who disagreed with the popular saying that teachers rewards are in heaven said, “ I left the school before the country was locked down last year because of the school’s policy. “How could a proprietor say that he could not pay teacher’s salaries because many parents were owing school fees? As a man, I cannot depend on that to survive. Besides, teaching is tasking with nothing to show for it. So I decided to join my brother in selling second hand shoes which has since impacted my life positively. Some of the private school teachers who saw that things were getting better for me after leaving the school have also left. A woman who left the school three month after I left now mates izal and liquid soap and supplies to people. Some of them also engage in buying and selling among others.”
Also, Mummy Tayo, a former private school teacher in Oba-Ile, revealed that she turned in her resignation letter when her input did not commensurate with her take home. “As an NCE holder, my husband advised that I should try government work but was not successful. I had to put aside my certificate and start selling cooked rice and beans. Gradually, things are taking shape. Today I am comfortable with my family. Thank God for taking the decision then. Working as a private school teacher is too demanding with N13,000 salary. Some schools don’t even pay up to that. That is why private school owners especially those who pay poorly or in the habit of owing salaries will continue to lose their dedicated teachers.
In the reaction of a private school proprietor, Mrs Esther Ogundayo, she described private schools as barracks where teachers go and come while the school remain. She said,” Teachers have been coming in and out of private schools in search of greener pastures ever before the coronavirus lock down. To those who have decided to start their own businesses due to poor salaries, it is their decision. We all understand that most parents did not pay school fees during the lock down which made it difficult for private school owners to pay salaries then. I will not blame anyone for taking any step, but no private school can pay salaries beyond the school’s capacity.”