Deeper Life Church trains 1,000 teachers in Bauchi

AS part of its social responsibility and community service, Deeper Life Bible Church in Bauchi has trained no fewer than 1,000 teachers drawn from the 20 Local Government Areas of the State for increased productivity in their service delivery.

While speaking to Journalists in an interview during the one day training, the State Overseer of the Church, Pastor Adeniyi Hassan, said that the Christian Teachers’ Strategy Conference organised with the theme: ‘Teacher’s Role in Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders’ was aimed at training the Teachers to impact positively on the children’s virtue, character and life.

He added that: “One of the things that destroyed education in Nigeria is lack of character. No matter how sensible and knowledgeable a person is, if he/she has any defect in character, the whole thing is destroyed and that is what is affecting our country negatively.”

The Clergyman stressed that “It is character and the quality of people that make the nation better. Change the people’s life and the nation will prosper, the economy will change, but when people are corrupt, they are not straight forward, they are wicked, they are destructive, violent and full of vices, there’s no way you can have a peaceful and prosperous place.”

Adeniyi Hassan added, “That is why we are trying to bring in the teachers who, we believe, are important because there’s no one who does not pass through a teacher. Teachers are able to work on children and young people properly because they are the roots of the nation.”

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The State Overseer added that: “We believe that if we work on teachers and they in turn work on the students, before long, the situation in the country will change when you produce upright leaders.”

He said that Deeper Life as a Church is deeply concerned about the life and character of the children because that is what will bring better and quality education, “we brought the teachers together because of that concern. That is just the purpose and our desire.”

He called on the teachers in Bauchi State to inculcate character and life which only Christ can bring stating that “The Church is trying to equip the teachers, envision them to go back and work and not end up teaching only Geography, Mathematics and English, but turn around the lives of the people they are teaching and let them have the character to do right, and when they do, things will go better, that is our philosophy.”

Also in an interview, Chairman of the planning committee of the conference, Pastor James Cletus Ngope, said that the training was organised to impact knowledge into the teachers and strengthen them and give them the king of impetus to push the work forward because excellence is needed in the education sector.

“We are worried about the standard of education in the state and we have tried to get ourselves abreast with the move of the state government in the educational sector. The government is so concerned and is making moves to better the state of things in the educational sector and how the Commissioner of Education is touring the schools in the state to make sure that the good intention is driven home,” he said.

James Cletus said that the training of the teachers is the desire of the Deeper Life Church to contribute her quota in uplifting the standard of education in the state since there is a general fall in the standard of education stressing that “we are worried about the quality of education in the state and we want to do something to improve it.”

The Regional Overseer of Azare Region of the Church pointed out that the training is also geared towards putting passion into the teachers concerning their profession so that they will give in their best. We desire excellence, nothing less than that.

While declaring the conference open, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr Aliyu Tilde described the training as timely as it was coming at the time the state government was working tirelessly to revive the fallen standard of education in the state.

Aliyu Tilde, who was represented by the Coordinator, Christian Religious Studies (CRS) in the state, Mrs Ladi Kushi, said that the training was highly commendable as the role of teachers in the society is second to none.

The Commissioner stressed that “As Christian teachers, you have the great responsibility of raising students in morals and general knowledge that will positively impact on the large society. It is expected that you raise leaders of tomorrow based on Christian values as found in the Holy Bible.”

“I call on all of you to continue to work hard bearing in mind that educational goals and objectives can only be achieved through prayers, dedication, endurance and patience that you are known for,” he said.

Aliyu Tilde also used the medium to challenge the participants to use the opportunity to share knowledge among themselves by bringing suggestions, recommendations and solutions to the challenges confronting the Christian teachers in their primary assignments in the educational sectors and Nigeria at large.

He then commended Deeper Life Bible Church for organising the conference saying that “our doors are open to critical suggestions and recommendations.”