I was in a uber ride some weeks ago and I and the
driver got talking. Minutes into the discussion, he got to know I was a writer.
He followed this with a question, ‘Have you thought about teaching people about
how to write or perhaps even taking people courses in English?’. It took some
seconds before I could give a reply to him because, at that point, I remembered
that my mum was a teacher and my dad gave lectures for a living. I replied
‘well, I haven’t really thought about it before, I’m open to new things and I
feel education gives us an understanding of the world.’. He continued, ‘I know
a lady that teaches in Sabiteach for a living and she’s doing really well. I
think you will be a good fit. He later sent the name of a company and its
website and of course, I did my research on them.
What is SabiTeach?
Sabiteach is an educational tutoring platform that
helps connect learners with qualified teachers. It is a platform that helps
teachers earn more. The most amazing thing about this platform is that the teachers
are vetted properly. This means that parents do not have to wonder if their
children would be taught properly or any other thing. The conduct of teachers is
also guaranteed.
SabiTeach has over 500 tutors teaching hundreds of
lessons each week, across Nigeria. They provide lessons in various subjects as
well as provide tutoring for IELTS exams. Simply put, SabiTeach provides and
cares for the learners, the teachers and the standard of service.
Future of Education in Nigeria? How?
There is no doubt that Nigeria and even most parts of
the African continent continue to face serious problems in the educational
sector. These problems include poor quality of education, outdated teaching
material and techniques, limited access to knowledge, poor funding and much
more. According to Bbc.co.uk, Nigeria currently has the highest number of
children out of school in the world and there are 10.5 million children not
being educated.
What most tutor providers lack is the way to effectively increase the reach of learning at an affordable price. In my little research, I have discovered that for the average child to receive a standard, world-class education in this country, several millions of Naira might need to be spent. Even with this, quality education has still remained an illusion in most parts of the country hence, the education disparities as regards wealth is outrageously high.
A few weeks back, I wrote an article where I discussed
why solving problems should be the fundamental principle behind the creation of
any organization. This is what Sabiteach has been able to do. Their online
platform states ‘At SabiTeach, we are transforming the face of traditional
education and removing the barriers of location and accessibility.’
To the story I was narrating earlier, I clicked on the sabiteach.com website and applied to be a teacher, I went through the step-by-step process and was asked to put in the necessary details.
My observations
were as follows:
1.
Most
companies only focus on making money and do not like to make the recruitment
process as standard as it ought to be because of the fear of losing out. As
part of the vetting process, I was asked to submit the proof of my
qualifications and other necessary documents which I uploaded on the website.
2.
I
was immediately sent a mail that informed me to await the first step of
confirmation, after which, a vetting
interview would commence.
3.
I
was surprised to see tutoring fees as low as 1500 Naira. For me, this meant
that an average Nigerian could have access to quality education at an
affordable price.
4.
A system that works: It was good to see a system that worked.
The mail correspondence was swift, professional and helpful.
5.
I
even tried calling in as a parent who needed tutoring services for my ward and
I was impressed by the response I got.
SabiTeach and Education in the Post
Pandemic period.
The Covid19 pandemic brought with it all sorts
of anxiety. Parents became apprehensive and wondered if their children would
have to be home forever. For many, it felt like the world was about to end.
Even now with vaccines made available. Many are wary of allowing their children
out of the house as they know they might not be able to control the number of
people their wards come in contact with. This is one worry Sabi teach helps
eliminate. It is of the utmost importance that educators become flexible and
creative as the world is changing.
In conclusion, SabiTeach is indeed the future of
education in Nigeria as they use innovative and creative approaches in the
recruitment of their tutors and the standard of their services. They also
provide training and coaching support for their staff. Of course, I must also
state the obvious which is the employment opportunities that the company
presents to the graduate community. This means, if you are adequately qualified
and experienced then, SabiTeach is essentially for you. Finally, SabiTeach is indeed
proof that the highest quality of learning and education can indeed be
achieved.
By Oluwapelumi Okeh
