Kaduna to replace teachers who failed primary four exam

  

    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.

  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.  The list was released by the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) which advised those not satisfied with their results to come forward with the complaint to a committee set up for that purpose.

   Those who passed the test, according to SUBEB, are the once competent and qualified to provide quality education and learning to pupils.  The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Mr. Nasiru Umar, said that a committee had been set up to receive complaints of those who doubted the results of the examination. The notice of new recruitment showed that applicants must have relevant educational certificates including the one from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.

  

   SUBEB boss, explained that the exercise has no political undertone, saying that those who failed the test can apply and undergo the recruitment process.  Umar, advised people not to bring politics into the on-going educational reform adding that government concern is to revive education especially in the rural communities. “33,000 primary school teachers sat for the competency tests agreed upon by all stakeholders including Nigerian Union of teachers (NUT). “21,780 scored below 75 per cent. 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 hall marking. 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. “Those who have complaints, there is a committee I set up to look into complaints. “We have all the test scripts and we can go through their scripts again. This has nothing to do with politics and witch hunting.

  

  “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,” Umar added.