EKPOMA — The Josemaria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF) has identified effective stress management as critical to improving teachers’ performance and enhancing learning outcomes in Nigeria’s primary education sector.
Chief Responsibility Officer of the foundation, Dr Jude Obasanmi, stated this during a training session under the Teachers’ Skills Enhancement Project (TSEP) for selected public primary school teachers in Esan Central and Esan West Local Government Areas of Edo State.
He described teaching as one of the most stressful professions globally, noting that while stress is unavoidable, adopting healthy coping mechanisms is essential for sustaining a productive and fulfilling career.
Obasanmi listed common signs of stress among teachers to include irritability, mood swings, poor concentration, chronic fatigue, insomnia and physical symptoms such as frequent illness, palpitations, headaches and dizziness.
According to him, how teachers respond to stress determines whether they enjoy long, rewarding careers or face early burnout.
He explained that the Teachers’ Skills Enhancement Project, launched in 2023 and scheduled to run until 2027, targets the training of 300 teachers and 10 Learning and Development Officers/Master Trainers.
The programme, he said, was initiated in partnership with the TY Danjuma Foundation to strengthen subject knowledge and improve curriculum delivery in primary schools.
Obasanmi added that the initiative shifted focus from infrastructure development to capacity building after identifying teacher competence as a major challenge in the education sector.
He disclosed that 60 teachers and 10 master trainers drawn from 20 public primary schools are trained annually, with the programme focusing on classroom effectiveness, stress and time management, and mental health promotion.
He further revealed that as of 2025, about 180 teachers had already benefited from the training.
In her remarks, Edo Programme Assistant of the TY Danjuma Foundation, Mrs Emmanuel Elaigwu, said the organisation remains committed to improving the quality of life of Nigerians through interventions in education, healthcare and economic empowerment.
She emphasised that strengthening teachers is fundamental to building a resilient education system, noting that the training programme offers participants an opportunity to enhance, both their professional competence and overall wellbeing.
