TheCable

The Kaduna state government, on Wednesday, began screening of 43,806 applicants for 25,000 teaching positions in its primary schools, with MSc degree holders being among the applicants.

The list of applicants pasted on the notice board at Rimi College, Kaduna, one of the examination centres, showed that two applicants held MSc degrees in biochemistry and water resources.

The examination of the applicants was held in 130 centres across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Other centres include Government Secondary School (GSS), Kakuri; GSS, Narayi; and Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Ungwan Mua’zu.

The examination was conducted under tight security, with officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and police personnel stationed at the centres.

Mary Ambi, a permanent member, Kaduna State Basic Education Board, said only those who scored the maximum points and possessed the required qualification would be contacted for an oral interview afterwards.

In October, the state government announced plans to sack 21,780 primary school teachers for allegedly failing a competency test.

The test was conducted by the state government in June.

Meanwhile, the state wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has rejected the government decision to sack the teachers.

The union has taken the state government to the National Industrial Court, asking the court to determine if government has the mandate to conduct the test.

In his ruling on December 14, Lawal Mani, a judge, granted the prayer pending the determination of the substantive suit and adjourned the case till February 6, 2018.