The Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University of Education, Oto/Ijanikin, Professor Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye has urged the Lagos state government through the Ministry of Health and Education to launch a Comprehensive Teachers’ Well-being programme to boost productivity.
According to her this programme should include access to mental health support, stress management workshops, and affordable healthcare packages tailored for teachers.
She stated this during a programme with the theme: ‘Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession’ organised by the university to mark the World Teachers’ Day held on Monday, October 6, 2025 at the main campus.
Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye added that collaboration between relevant ministries and leveraging existing healthcare infrastructure can make the proposed programme seamlessly feasible.
- Advertisement -
“Significantly, this will address the often overlooked emotional and physical toll of the profession, leading to healthier, more productive teachers.”
She also recommended an enhanced teacher remuneration and incentives; robust professional learning communities; government and other funding agencies should invest in modern teaching resources and infrastructure and institutionalizing teacher’s voice in policy making.
She explained further that the future of the nation hinges on the quality of its education quality depends on the quality, welfare, and collaborative spirit of teachers.
“Therefore the time for incremental changes is over, we need a transformative shift, a fundamental recasting of how we perceive, support and empower our educators.
“This year’s theme is not merely a slogan but a powerful call to action, reflection of the evolving demands placed upon us, and a profound recognition of the synergy required to elevate education to its rightful place.”
She added: “In an increasingly, complex and interconnected world, the siloed approach to teaching is no longer sustainable. Collaboration, in all its facets, is the key to unlocking the full potential of our educators and by extension, our students.”
The VC stated further that collaboration is not just about sharing lessons plan, adding that it is about building a robust support system, fostering innovation, and collectively advocating for the systemic changes needed to uplift the profession.
She listed the areas of collaboration to include teacher to teacher collaboration, school community collaboration and teacher-policy maker collaboration.
“Today, as we honour our teachers, I issue fervent call to action to all stakeholders, government, policy makers, educational institutions, parents and teachers themselves.
This year’s theme provides us with the blueprint, let us embrace it not just as a concept, but as a practical strategy for progress and let us commit to building bridges of collaboration, to between teachers, between schools and communities, and most importantly, between teachers and policy makers,” she said.
She assured the commitment of the university in leading the charge to improve the teaching profession. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to producing highly competent, globally competitive, professionally collaborative, and ethically sound teachers who will drive the educational revolution our nation desperately needs.
“We will also continue to be hub for research, dialogue, and innovative solutions that address the challenges facing the teaching profession,” she reiterated.
The guest speaker, Professor Jeremiah Adewale from the Institute of Education, University of Ibadan, Oyo State speaking on the theme reiterated that collaboration among teachers will lead to more dynamic, supportive and effective learning environment, ultimately benefiting students and broader educational community.
On challenges which he said may include misunderstanding and mistrust amongst others, he said but with persistence among teachers there will be a more dynamic, supportive and effective learning environment for students and it could be beneficial to others.
For the collaboration to work, Prof. Adewale recommended co-planning, co-teaching, observing and providing constructive feedback, engage in joint reading and leveraging on digital tools to facilitate communication and collaboration.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of awards to the Vice-Chancellor, the guest speaker, and some teachers for their outstanding performance.
BV.
