TheCable

Kaduna state executive council has approved the outcome of the primary four teachers’ competency test and directed immediate process for recruiting 25,000 teachers to replace those who failed the examination.

A total of 21,780 primary school teachers in the state had reportedly failed the examination administered to test their competence in October.

The names of the 11,220 out of the 33,000 primary school teachers that passed primary four competency test conducted by Kaduna government has been released by Kaduna state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

In a statement, Nasiru Umar, executive chairman of SUBEB, advised those not satisfied with their results to lodge a complaint.

He added that a committee had been set up to hear their reservations.

Umar said the notice of new recruitment showed that applicants must have relevant educational certificates, including the one from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.

“Thirty-three thousand primary school teachers sat for the competency tests agreed upon by all stakeholders including the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT),” Umar said

“Twenty-one thousand seven hundred and eighty scored below 75 percent. We conducted the test because we went round and discovered that the schools were in bad shape. Some teachers cannot even speak English.

“We started training them but we discovered that no amount of training will improve them.

“We release the names of those who scored 75 and above. Three months’ notice will be given to those who failed the competency test for disengagement.

“All teachers including the ones who failed the test should go back to duty tomorrow Monday and wait further directives.

“Those who are above five years will be retired but those below 5 years will be disengaged. Those who failed can still apply in the ongoing fresh recruitment.

“We should not bring politics into education. We presented the results to the committee involving the NUT, Teachers Council of Nigeria among others. The NUT wanted the pass mark to be 60. All the stakeholders including NUT, teachers’ council of Nigeria were involved in the competency test.

“We agreed that only 40 teachers in a class during the exams. After exams, we invited those who marked NECO and WAEC to mark the test and it was a conference hallmarking.

“Nobody was allowed to go home with the scripts. After that, we brought in Kaduna State University professionals, we also brought in a foreign organisation and they analysed the tests.

“No more sharing of appointments of teachers among the officials. This time around, government is determined to employ competent teachers as part of efforts to revive education in Kaduna State.

“We have so far received over 13,000 applications at the SUBEB headquarters, some applicants submitted their applications at the local government headquarters for the recruitment of new teachers.”