I started working as a classroom teacher at a private school in Ifo, Ogun State, on January 5, 2026. At the time, I needed a reliable source of income, so I accepted the position even though the salary was lower than I originally expected. During the interview, I was asked about my expected salary. I initially had ₦120,000 to ₦150,000 in mind, but after seeing the size of the school, I reduced my expectation to between ₦70,000 and ₦100,000.
The highest offer I received was ₦50,000 per month, and because I needed the job, I accepted it. I was informed about the school's dress code, resumption time, closing time and some other rules. What I did not fully understand at the interview stage was how much work would eventually come with the position.
As a primary-school class teacher, I had lesson preparation and teaching responsibilities across 14 subjects. Later, I was also asked to handle another class. That meant preparing for the same broad curriculum across two classes while earning the same ₦50,000 monthly salary. Working there gave me a close look at something beyond teacher salaries: the financial decisions that can affect both teachers and the long-term health of a private school.
These are five financial red flags I noticed from my experience.
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Transparency note: This article describes my personal experience and observations as a staff member. I did not have access to the school's full accounting records, so my comments about its finances are observations from an employee's perspective rather than an independent financial audit.
1. Giving One Teacher the Workload of Two Staff Members
One of the first financial red flags I noticed was the attempt to reduce staffing costs by increasing the workload assigned to existing teachers. When I joined the school, I expected to handle one class. As time went on, I was informed that I would also teach Primary Four once pupils were enrolled.
Eventually, I was responsible for pupils in both Primary Three and Primary Four. At the time, there were eight pupils in Primary Three and ten pupils in Primary Four. Because the primary curriculum covered about 14 subjects per class, managing both classes meant preparing and teaching across roughly 28 class-subject combinations.
The problem was not simply the number of pupils. It was the amount of lesson preparation, teaching, assessment, marking and classroom management expected from one teacher.
Why I Saw This as a Financial Red Flag
Reducing the number of staff may save money in the short term, but excessive workloads can create other costs. An overworked teacher may struggle to prepare lessons properly, mark pupils' work on time or give every learner enough attention. If teaching quality falls, parents may become dissatisfied, staff turnover may increase and the school may eventually lose pupils.
That experience taught me that staff salaries should not be viewed only as an expense. Adequate staffing is also an investment in the quality of the service a school provides.
2. Mixing School Money With Personal Money
The second red flag involved how school fees were received and spent. During my time there, I observed a parent make a school-fee payment into the administrator's personal account rather than a separate account used specifically for the school.
Shortly afterwards, school expenses such as classroom materials also had to be paid from money sitting in that same account. From my position as an employee, I could not see the school's complete financial records, so I cannot say how every transaction was accounted for. However, what I observed showed me why separating business and personal finances matters.
Why I Saw This as a Financial Red Flag
When personal and school money are mixed together, it becomes more difficult to know clearly:
how much money the school actually earned;
how much the school spent;
what expenses were personal;
what expenses belonged to the school; and
how much money remained available for salaries and other obligations.
Even for a small private school, clear financial records can make budgeting and decision-making easier. My takeaway was simple: school money should be treated as school money, while personal money should remain personal.
3. Little Investment in Teacher Development
Another problem I noticed was the lack of meaningful investment in teachers. Teachers are responsible for delivering the education parents are paying for. Yet in many low-budget schools, professional development can easily be treated as an unnecessary expense.
During my experience, I did not see much emphasis on structured teacher training or professional development. That matters because teaching methods, classroom management, assessment techniques and subject knowledge can all improve when teachers receive appropriate training and support.
Why I Saw This as a Financial Red Flag
A school may look at teacher training and see another expense. I see it differently. When a teacher improves, the benefits can reach the classroom. Better teaching can improve pupils' learning experiences, parent satisfaction and the school's reputation.
There is also a staff-retention issue. If teachers feel that a school offers low pay, excessive workloads and no opportunity to develop professionally, they have more reasons to look for opportunities elsewhere. Recruiting replacement teachers repeatedly also has a cost. For that reason, investing in staff development should be considered part of building a stronger school rather than simply spending money on employees.
4. No Clear Reserve for Holidays and Low-Income Periods
Schools do not receive the same level of income every month of the year. During normal school periods, tuition and other fees may provide regular cash flow. During holidays, however, income can fall significantly even though some expenses continue.
Teachers may still need to be paid. Rent, maintenance and other operating expenses do not automatically disappear because pupils are on holiday. From what I observed, periods when fewer pupils attended holiday coaching created more financial pressure.
Why I Saw This as a Financial Red Flag
A school that spends almost everything it receives during high-income periods can struggle when revenue falls. This is why budgeting ahead matters. If management knows that holidays are coming, recurring expenses such as salaries and essential bills should be considered before all available cash is spent.
A financial reserve cannot solve every problem, especially for a small school with limited income, but planning ahead can reduce the need to rely constantly on debt or last-minute borrowing. The lesson I took from the experience is that businesses should prepare for predictable low-income periods before those periods arrive.
5. Promising Extra Programmes Without Properly Funding Their Delivery
The fifth financial red flag was the gap I noticed between some programmes promoted to parents and the resources available to deliver them consistently. Private schools naturally want to attract parents. Offering programmes such as computer training, music and phonics can make a school more appealing.
But advertising an additional service is only the first step. The school must also have the teachers, equipment, timetable and budget necessary to provide it properly.
Why I Saw This as a Financial Red Flag
Every promise a school makes to parents creates an expectation. If a school promotes several programmes but does not allocate enough money or staff to deliver them well, it can eventually affect parents' trust.
In my view, it is financially wiser to offer fewer programmes and deliver them properly than to advertise many programmes without the resources required to maintain them. A school's reputation is one of its important assets. Once parents begin to feel that they are not receiving what they were promised, winning back that confidence can be difficult.
What This Experience Taught Me About Teaching for ₦50,000
My experience was not only about one private school. It also forced me to think seriously about my own financial future as a teacher. Living expenses such as food, transportation, rent, electricity and unexpected bills can consume a large part of a low monthly salary.
For someone with a family and additional responsibilities, the pressure can be even greater. That does not mean teaching is a bad career or that every private school pays poorly. Schools differ greatly in size, location, fees, working conditions and salary structure. But I believe teachers, especially those working in low-paying schools, should think deliberately about career and financial growth.
That could mean improving your qualifications, applying to better-paying schools, specialising in an in-demand subject, developing a marketable skill, tutoring privately, building a legitimate side business or pursuing opportunities elsewhere in education. The important point is not to assume that today's salary will automatically meet tomorrow's responsibilities.
Lessons for Private-School Owners
My experience also gave me a greater appreciation of how difficult running a private school can be. School owners have to balance salaries, rent, learning materials, utilities, maintenance and many other expenses, sometimes while dealing with parents who pay fees late. That reality does not make good financial management less important. It makes it more important.
From my experience, five areas deserve particular attention:
- Match staff workload with realistic staffing levels.
- Keep personal and school finances clearly separated.
- Invest in teachers and their professional development.
- Budget for holidays and predictable low-income periods.
- Do not promise programmes that the school cannot consistently fund and deliver.
Conclusion
Teaching two classes while earning ₦50,000 per month taught me lessons about money that went beyond my own salary. I saw how attempts to save money in one area could create bigger problems elsewhere. I also learned that poor planning affects more than a school's bank balance it can affect teachers, pupils, parents and the reputation of the school itself.
For teachers, my biggest lesson is to use your current position as a stepping stone rather than becoming financially dependent on a salary that may not grow with your responsibilities. Keep developing yourself, improving your qualifications and building additional skills that can increase your options.
For school owners, the lesson is equally important: sustainable financial management is not simply about spending as little as possible. Sometimes spending wisely on people, planning and service quality is what protects the business in the long run.
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