The Kaduna State government says it will recruit 25,000 fresh primary school teachers following the woeful performance of almost 22,000 teachers during a screening exercise.
Nasir El-Rufai, the Kaduna State Governor made this known when a World Bank delegation paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Kaduna on Monday.
El-Rufai said that 21,780 out of 33,000 teachers failed the primary four pupils’ exams which they were mandated to take as a test of competence.
“We tested our 33,000 primary school teachers, we gave them primary four examination and required they must get at least 75 per cent but I am sad to announce that 66 percent of them failed to get the requirements,” El-Rufai said.
“The hiring of teachers in the past was politicized and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified primary school teachers to restore the dignity of education in the state.
“We have a challenge with the teacher-pupil ratio in the urban schools; there is concentration of teachers that are not needed.
“In some local government areas, it’s a teacher pupil ratio of 1-9 while in some places it’s 1-100.”
El-Rufai noted that directors of schools in the state have decided to enrol their children and wards in public schools starting from the 2017/2018 academic session in order to demonstrate their commitment to improving the education sector in the State.
Kunle Adekola, leader of the World Bank delegation, commended the El-Rufai-led Kaduna State government for investing in education, especially with the priority given to the girl child.
As part of its support for the state, Adekola pledged that the World Bank will invest N30 million into Rigasa Primary School, which has one of the largest population of pupils in Kaduna State – about 22,000.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Education Intervention Fund, an initiative of the World Bank, together with other development partners, renders support to about 13 Northern states as well as a state from each of the other geopolitical zones of Nigeria.