Private school teachers invest in petty trades to survive COVID-19

By Olushola Okewole

As lockdown on schools continues, the private school teachers have revealed how they struggle to survive without salaries.

Some of them who spoke to ECHONEWS said they have to take up petty trading and home lessons as means of survival.

While their counterparts in public schools receive their salaries monthly, the private school teachers have not received any salary since March when the government shut down schools as a measure to curb the spread of Covid-19.

ECHONEWS learnt that while a few affected teachers are investing in trades food items such as crayfish, palm oil, cow skin, dried fish and other edibles, others take the advantage of social media to sell clothing materials or run dried fish or run home lessons.

While awaiting the reopening of schools, the teachers appealed to the government to support them with palliatives.

Speaking, Mrs. Christiana Ojediran, teacher at New Jerusalem City Baptist School, Ejigbo, said she has been living on God’s grace with palliatives from the school, Church and parents.

The mother of two added that she has now turned to a trader, selling crayfish and palm oil for little income to keep body and soul.

She therefore called on the government to support them with little capital to aid their small businesses.

Mrs. Sopehin of Beulafield Schools, Ejigbo, said she had to take up home lesson to gather some money since nobody was ready to help.

She disclosed that the school proprietress did her best as she paid the salary till April.

Also speaking, Miss Oluwaseun Ogundiran, a teacher at Al-ghaffar school, Ejigbo, said she has been engaging in part time POS work for survival and also home lessons as nothing is coming from the school again after march salary.

Miss Christina Adegoke of Groombase School, Ejigbo, said: “It is well! It has been God. There is no money we have just been managing.

“The last salary was in March and since then everything has been managing because I can no more sell the small chops I usually sold in school and church since both have been closed down. I’m just managing with some home lessons I’m doing.”