This is the real reason why most full time teachers are now switching to Part-time teachers

“37 Periods for ₦38,000”

I remember it like yesterday.

Thirty-seven periods in one week.

Maths, Physics, Chemistry — all for a salary of ₦38,000.

Every day, I poured my voice, my energy, my very soul into those classrooms.

I marked assignments at midnight.

I stayed after school to help students who were struggling.

And yet, when I looked at my bank account, it felt like a bad joke.

I reached a breaking point.

I walked into the office and requested to work part-time.

They smiled politely… and told me, “Let’s talk about it later.”

Later never came.

So I left.

Days turned into weeks.

They couldn’t find a replacement for me.

Parents started asking questions: “Where is the teacher? Why did they leave?”

The pressure grew until the school had no choice — they called me back.

But this time, I came back with my head held high.

 I told them N40,000. Three subjects. Three days a week.

And they agreed.

That was the day I stopped letting others decide my worth.

That was the day I started a journey that would take me from ₦38,000 a month… to earning hundreds of thousands.

But here’s the truth:

My story is not just my story.

It’s the reality for so many teachers in Nigeria today.

We give everything — our health, our time, our passion — and yet we are treated like we are replaceable.

We are not.

When will we start valuing the ones who shape the future?

When will we stop paying lip service to “education is the key” while starving the very people holding the key?

If you’re reading this,

Say a prayer for every teacher who is underpaid but still shows up with a smile.

And if you have the power to change a teacher’s life — do it.

Because when you lift a teacher, you lift a generation