THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP ON CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES TEACHERS’ WELLBEING IN AKURE SOUTH

ABSTRACT Economic hardship has become a pressing issue affecting various sectors globally, including the education sector. The well-being of teachers plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of education, particularly in subjects like Christian Religious Studies (CRS), which emphasize moral and ethical values. However, economic hardship has increasingly threatened the financial stability and overall well-being of CRS teachers in Nigeria, particularly in Akure South. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of economic hardship on the well-being of CRS teachers in Akure South. The population of the study comprised all junior secondary school teachers in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State. The research adopted simple random sampling techniques to select 100 religious studies teachers from twenty (20) secondary schools in Akure South Local Government Area. Findings shows that to a great extent, economic hardship affect the financial stability of Christian Religious Studies (CRS) teachers in Akure South negatively. That the economic hardship negatively affect the psychological and emotional well-being of CRS teachers. That financial difficulties negatively influence the job performance and commitment of CRS teachers in secondary schools. That the strategies that can be implemented to improve the well-being of CRS teachers amid economic challenges include: increasing teachers' salaries, provision of housing or transportation allowances, organising financial management training for teachers and financial support by faith-based organizations and private donors. The following recommendations were made: Government and Educational stakeholders should see the need to increase teachers' salaries. There should be provision of housing and transportation allowances to teachers at all levels. Financial management training should be organised for teachers. Teachers should enjoy financial support by faith-based organizations and private donors. Free interest business loans should be provided to teachers. Land should be allocated to teachers to venture into Agriculture in order to cushion the impact of the economic hardship on them.