The Kaduna State Government and the
state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers are set for a showdown
over the recruitment of 25,000 fresh primary school teachers in the
state.....
Although the union had initially kicked
against the move, the government had gone ahead to announce a vacancy
for 25,000 fresh teachers, claiming that those to be replaced had failed
a competency test conducted previously.
But a statement issued by the Kaduna
State Universal Basic Education Board and signed by its Executive
Chairman, Nasiru Umar, said the recruitment was part of the state
government’s effort to equip all schools with competent and qualified
teachers in an effort to provide quality education and learning to
pupils across the state.
The statement noted that the recruitment
of new teachers became necessary as a result of the inability of about
22,000 teachers to score 75 per cent in the Primary four examination
recently conducted by the state government.
Umar said, “We invited interested and
qualified candidates to apply for teaching appointments into public
primary schools across the state.”
The SUBEB specified the possession of
the Nigeria Certificate in Education as the minimum qualification. But
the agency encouraged graduates in Education disciplines to apply for
the jobs.
According to the notice, applicants were expected to present a certificate from the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
However, the state chairman of the NUT,
Mr. Audu Amba, said the development would force teachers in primary and
secondary schools in the state to down tools.
While addressing a press conference
shortly after an emergency meeting of the state executive of the union
in the state capital on Thursday, Amba warned that the NUT would
embark on strike if the State government carried out its threat to sack
“even a single teacher” over the competency test.
He described the test as unprofessional
and also pointed out that the only competent body empowered by law to
test teachers was the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
The NUT boss noted that, judging by the
latest development, the state government appeared to have resolved to
sack teachers. “Government will be setting us back 20 years if 22,000
teachers are relieved of their jobs,” he said.
Arguing that the exercise did not
conform with what was required of assessment tests for teachers, he
said, “We have resolved that, by this examination that was given to our
teachers, if any teacher is relieved of his appointment, the NUT may
not guarantee further industrial harmony with the government of Kaduna
State.
“It is with pain that we are taking this
decision, while appreciating the concerns of the state government to
uplift the status of teachers.
“We have discussed with the government
to let it understand that teaching is not like other professions or
industrial machines that you open and close at will.
“It will do us no good if 21, 780
teachers are relieved of their jobs. They were not tested based on
professionalism or on what they studied. The proficiency test can only
be recognized if it is conducted by TRCN. But the state insisted
otherwise. What we are receiving today is not what we agreed with
government.”
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