Many Nigerian secondary school teachers have the mindset that they are just passing time in their jobs until a better work offer comes along. They are not committed to doing their best for their students.

Why is this? Partly because their pay is low, and also because they receive little recognition or thanks from their local communities and leaders.

At Grace & Light’s annual teachers conference in September they were able to share how they feel, as well as explore the challenges they face and how God sees their young charges.

The messages they heard during the day encouraged them to recommit themselves to actively supporting the younger generation, including helping teenagers cope with the negative impacts of social media on self-esteem.

Twenty-eight teachers from 17 secondary schools in Jos attended the conference. They all teach at schools the Jos volunteer team has visited to share during assemblies.

Many gave testimonies about how the conference has challenged them to change. One person stands out for international coordinator Tassie Ghata.

“He said that he had been offered N21,000 to look the other way during an exam and accepted the money. Then on the same day he lost his mobile phone worth N80,000. He felt this was a consequence of turning from God’s standards and during the conference publicly committed to not accepting bribes in future.”

Prayer Requests

Please pray for:

• Teachers trying to live according to God’s standards while facing temptations each day at work
• Mindset change to remain strong so teachers continue to provide the support their students need to cope with the temptations they also face.