Mai-Rusau and the mass sack of 'incompetent' teachers in Kaduna State
It's
been long that I write, but since I'm on a little break, I've this to say:
It
is no more breaking that the Kaduna State Governor has taken a bold step to
address the education crisis in Kaduna State. I commend him once again, no
society will prosper without good education, and none has.
However
people need to understand the situation on ground right now;
The
Governor has released a list of those who passed the competency test this week.
They are said to have failed Primary IV exams, seems beyond re-trainable
materials. El-Rufai has sacked over 21,000 primary teachers and will be
replaced with another 25000 new recruits.
As
at today, only 16,000 have applied (I don't know how many will be found
eligible). The opportunity is still on as the State hunt for massive 25000
quality teachers.
This
morning and yesterday, pupils protested across the State over the sack of their
'incompetent' teachers calling the Governor names. Poor pupils!
Where
we are heading to:
If
these teachers are to leave today, there will be no replacement in the schools.
Not even those who couldn't pass level IV primary exams. A Vice chancellor in
this Country made that mistake recently, sacking contract lecturers under
investigation in the middle of the semester with no alternative. The students
will have the whole term to protest shouting Mai Rusau on the roads of Zaria and Kaduna. I heard a rumor about a
3-months’ notice, then they shall be released!
I've
heard on genuine grounds that some good quality teachers that I've seen and
supervised in classroom are said to have failed the exams. I've also heard a
Masters graduate failed the 'Class IV' test. Miraculously, I've also heard of a
teacher who made the list, I'm sure she won't be able to read this (despite my
poor English). My list is endless. Such exercises shouldn't be politicized as
the Governor himself said about the sector a whole. The answers leaked or the
Nigerian way worked?
I'm
sure the intelligent Governor has made up his mind to relieve some workers in the State,
across the Ministries, other agencies and the Emirates. He should also mind the
unemployment, poverty and crime rate across his State. Even then these teachers
should be provided a soft landing, they are only incompetent, they didn't kill
anyone. The State can offer some loans, or whatever. Sacking a poor teacher
who's been working since 1998 in a day is a hard thing. I agree such men and
women have no business in classrooms if we are really serious, but they have a
full family to feed. They are victims of circumstances (created by the past PDP
Government).
Even
if the Government employs new teachers, with the pay scale, we might have
another almost set of the same thing in the classrooms back. Who takes teaching
job in Nigeria? Someone like me who's find none. Such an honorable job! Once
people find another job, they don't think twice. Most of those who will get
this are young graduates with zero or minimal education experience. Imagine
been posted to Giwa from Chikun to teach Primary Science! I hope this time
around the Governor will not spend another N8b feeding the school Kids with
beans and yam but also training and equipping the new teachers.
Muhammad
Malumfashi writes from Zaria and can be reached on Twitter @ya_waliyyi.
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