SPECIAL REPORT:The Need for Teachers to Teach Only Subjects of Their Discipline in Nigerian Primary Schools

SPECIAL REPORT:

The Need for Teachers to Teach Only Subjects of Their Discipline in Nigerian Primary Schools.

By Niger Delta Voice Reporters, Education Desk.

13th Nov. 2025.

In classrooms across Nigeria, a quiet crisis is unfolding — one that strikes at the heart of the nation’s dream for Quality Education (SDG 4). Many primary school teachers, are struggling to effectively teach subjects outside their areas of specialization — a challenge that is fast eroding the foundation of learning for millions of young pupils.

The Nigerian Government have adopted the Classroom teacher model as against the effective Subject Teacher model in it's primary schools. This simply implies that a teacher is assigned to a class and he teaches all subjects of that class.

No doubt this has led to poor learning outcomes, and poor performance of pupils in various examinations.

Despite years of investment in teacher recruitment and training, reports from various states reveal that teachers trained in social studies or physical education are often assigned to teach core subjects like English Language and Mathematics, which require specialized knowledge and pedagogical skill.

“Most of us were trained in Arts or Vocational Studies, yet we’re compelled to teach English and Mathematics because of staff shortage,” lamented a primary school teacher. “It’s not that we don’t want to teach, but you can’t give what you don’t have.”

Education analysts warn that this mismatch between teachers’ qualifications and the subjects they teach has far-reaching consequences. Pupils in early grades who fail to grasp basic literacy and numeracy skills often struggle throughout their educational journey, leading to low performance in national assessments such as the National Common Entrance Examination and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Dr. (Mrs.) Chinyere Odu, an education consultant, explains:

> “Primary education is the bedrock of national development. When a child is poorly grounded in English and Mathematics, every other subject becomes a mountain to climb. The problem begins when teachers are forced to teach outside their discipline due to system gaps.”

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and state ministries of education have long grappled with teacher shortages, especially in Mathematics, English, and Science. Many schools in rural areas operate with less than half of their required teaching staff.

Education advocates are therefore calling for urgent reforms — including discipline-based teacher deployment, continuous subject-specific training, and incentives for teachers in core disciplines to serve in hard-to-reach areas.

According to Professor Abiodun Adedeji of the University of Ibadan’s Faculty of Education,

> “The teaching profession must return to specialization. A trained social studies teacher should not be forced to teach phonetics or algebra. We must restore respect for professional boundaries if we truly seek quality education.”

Parents, too, have begun voicing concerns, as many pupils in public primary schools can barely read fluently or solve simple arithmetic problems despite years of schooling — a phenomenon the World Bank recently described as “learning poverty.”

As the Nigerian government renews its commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 — “inclusive and equitable quality education for all” — experts insist that teachers must teach only the subjects of their discipline to ensure mastery, confidence, and improved learning outcomes.

For in the words of an old African proverb,

> “When the foundation is weak, even the finest roof will crumble.