By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum on Monday flagged off a three day training workshop for 1,949 teachers selected across the 27 LGAs of the state at Waka Biu Colleague of Education.
Governor Zulum in his remarks said the training was informed by the needs assessment carried out in 2021, which prompted the competency test for teachers across the different Local Government Education Authorities that
He said: “It is with great pleasure and a profound sense of accomplishment, I stand before you today at the commencement ceremony for the training of one thousand Nine Hundred and Forty-Nine (1,949) teachers from twenty- seven (27) local government education authorities across Borno State, taking place here at the College of Education, Waka-Biu.
“The training was informed by the needs assessment carried out in 2021, which prompted the competency test for teachers across the different Local Government Education Authorities that took place from 5th to 20th January, 2022.
“The outcome of the test revealed that Five thousand Two Hundred and Fifty-Seven (5,257) individuals passed, Six Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty-seven (6,227) were considered trainable, and Four Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty-Nine (4,339) were found to be untrainable.
“Expanding on this initiative, during the inauguration of the Local Government Education Secretaries on March 19th, 2024, the Government approved the allocation of One Billion Naira (N1 billion) for the training of Two Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty (2,730) teachers.
“These teachers will undergo training at both the College of Education Waka-Biu and Umar Ibn Ibrahim El kanemi College of Education, Science, and Technology Bama for Three Months Sandwich program for One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty-Four (1,884) teachers and a full time NCE program for Eight Hundred and Forty-Six (846) teachers.
“This endeavor underscores our unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of education, aligning seamlessly with our broader infrastructural development objectives,” Zulum said.
The governor noted that the primary objective of this training initiative is to tackle long standing issues surrounding remuneration, retention, and most importantly, the competency of teachers in accordance with national standards.
He further revealed that the participants will receive this training free of charge, along with a monthly. stipend of Thirty Thousand Naira (N30,000) in addition to their regular salaries while those enrolled in the full-time NCE program will receive automatic in-service status.
He urged the participants to approach this opportunity with utmost seriousness and ensure the successful completion of the program
Earlier in his welcome address, the Borno State Commissioner of Education, Science , Technology and Innovation, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe lamented that the problems facing basic education in the state have escalated since the discontinuation of the direct absorption of primary school teachers from their teachers’ colleges.
He added that with no structured employment approach in place, the indiscriminate replacement of teachers have resulted in several challenges, including salary scale discrepancies and the hiring of underqualified persons, among others.
Wakilbe noted that the consequences of these practices were highlighted through the verification exercise conducted in 2019 and the subsequent Competency Test conducted in 2022, results of which are in the public domain.
According to him, the situation has resulted in longstanding issues that have plagued the education sector for over three decades, stemming from policy neglect and the questionable actions of education administrators and politicians.
He added that the situation has further led the Borno State Government to be grappling with the challenges surrounding the recruitment, renumeration, and retention of teachers which crippled state education system, while highlighting the irregularities, discrepancies, illegalities and mismanagement of schools and education facilities among others were perpetrated at the detriment of the teachers service in barely all the 27 LGAs of the state.
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