Olatunde Akanbi
Member
WHY GOOD TEACHERS DON'T STAY — A LESSON FOR SCHOOL OWNERS.
About four years ago, I heard a story that has stayed with me ever since.
A teacher was earning ₦120,000 per month in a private school. She applied to another private school, passed a rigorous interview process, and was offered a salary of ₦300,000 monthly. That was double what she was earning.
Surprisingly, she asked the new school if she could resume the following year instead of immediately.
The recruitment panel was confused. Why would anyone delay resuming a job that paid twice as much?
Her answer was simple and powerful.
She had spent nine years in her current school, and the school had a policy of rewarding every staff member who completed 10 years of faithful service with ₦1,000,000. She had just one year left and did not want to lose that reward.
The new school was so impressed by her performance during the interview that they promised to pay her the ₦1,000,000 in four instalments if she joined them immediately.
That story carries a powerful message for every school owner and employer.
One of the biggest reasons teachers leave many private schools today is not just because of salary. It is because they do not see a future where they work. They watch people spend five, seven, or even ten years pouring out their strength, loyalty, and expertise into a school without receiving any meaningful reward for long-term service. So, they quietly prepare to leave whenever a better opportunity comes.
The truth is, people are more committed to places where they are valued than to places where they are merely paid.
If you want to retain good teachers in this era of scarcity of competent teachers, your policies must give them reasons to stay.
Ask yourself these honest questions:
1. Do I review staff salaries regularly to reflect inflation and experience?
2. Do I provide HMO or any form of healthcare support?
3. Do I offer free or discounted education for the children of my staff?
4. Do I have a pension, gratuity, or long-service reward plan?
5. Do I provide accommodation or housing assistance where possible?
6. Do I provide free internet or teaching resources to make their work easier?
6. Do I celebrate and reward loyalty after 5, 10, or 15 years of service?
Many school owners expect teachers to remain faithful without creating an environment that rewards faithfulness.
Loyalty is not sustained by speeches alone; it is sustained by policies that show people they matter.
A teacher who knows there is something meaningful to look forward to, will think twice before accepting another offer, just like the teacher in this story did.
In a season when good teachers are becoming increasingly difficult to find, retention is now as important as recruitment. It is cheaper to keep a good teacher than to lose one and begin another search for a replacement.
Let's stop asking, "Why are teachers leaving?" and start asking, "What policies will make them stay?"
Build a school where teachers are respected, rewarded, and remembered.
When you take care of your workers, they will take care of your vision.
Please, make policies that will make your staff serve better, stay longer, and remain faithful.
The future of your school depends not only on the learners you admit, but also on the teachers you retain.
About four years ago, I heard a story that has stayed with me ever since.
A teacher was earning ₦120,000 per month in a private school. She applied to another private school, passed a rigorous interview process, and was offered a salary of ₦300,000 monthly. That was double what she was earning.
Surprisingly, she asked the new school if she could resume the following year instead of immediately.
The recruitment panel was confused. Why would anyone delay resuming a job that paid twice as much?
Her answer was simple and powerful.
She had spent nine years in her current school, and the school had a policy of rewarding every staff member who completed 10 years of faithful service with ₦1,000,000. She had just one year left and did not want to lose that reward.
The new school was so impressed by her performance during the interview that they promised to pay her the ₦1,000,000 in four instalments if she joined them immediately.
That story carries a powerful message for every school owner and employer.
One of the biggest reasons teachers leave many private schools today is not just because of salary. It is because they do not see a future where they work. They watch people spend five, seven, or even ten years pouring out their strength, loyalty, and expertise into a school without receiving any meaningful reward for long-term service. So, they quietly prepare to leave whenever a better opportunity comes.
The truth is, people are more committed to places where they are valued than to places where they are merely paid.
If you want to retain good teachers in this era of scarcity of competent teachers, your policies must give them reasons to stay.
Ask yourself these honest questions:
1. Do I review staff salaries regularly to reflect inflation and experience?
2. Do I provide HMO or any form of healthcare support?
3. Do I offer free or discounted education for the children of my staff?
4. Do I have a pension, gratuity, or long-service reward plan?
5. Do I provide accommodation or housing assistance where possible?
6. Do I provide free internet or teaching resources to make their work easier?
6. Do I celebrate and reward loyalty after 5, 10, or 15 years of service?
Many school owners expect teachers to remain faithful without creating an environment that rewards faithfulness.
Loyalty is not sustained by speeches alone; it is sustained by policies that show people they matter.
A teacher who knows there is something meaningful to look forward to, will think twice before accepting another offer, just like the teacher in this story did.
In a season when good teachers are becoming increasingly difficult to find, retention is now as important as recruitment. It is cheaper to keep a good teacher than to lose one and begin another search for a replacement.
Let's stop asking, "Why are teachers leaving?" and start asking, "What policies will make them stay?"
Build a school where teachers are respected, rewarded, and remembered.
When you take care of your workers, they will take care of your vision.
Please, make policies that will make your staff serve better, stay longer, and remain faithful.
The future of your school depends not only on the learners you admit, but also on the teachers you retain.
