The Kaduna State chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended governor Nasir El-Rufai government for reinstating 1, 288 public school teachers that were earlier sacked after the competency test. The NUT said the reinstatement will ‘go a long way in bridging the gap of the teacher-pupil ratio being experienced in the public primary school sector.’
However, the governor has now ordered the recall of the teachers after a review of the situation. He said that the decision was taken in order to address the shortage of teachers in the state’s public schools.
The governor also said that the recalled teachers will be required to undergo a re-training program in order to update their skills and knowledge.
In a letter which was signed by state secretary Adamu Ayuba Kaltungo, the union appreciated the ‘’kind gesture extended to our esteemed members who were affected by this government policy.’’ The News Chronicle recalls that Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB) had sacked 2,357 primary school teachers under the administration of His excellency governor Nasir El-Rufai over the competency test in June 2022, explaining that 2,192 teachers were dismissed for their failure to sit for the test, while 165 teachers were sacked for poor performance.
After written complaints, the board reviewed some cases, where some affected workers claimed that they were kidnapped at the time of the test, while some claimed that they were central administration staff and as such, were exempted from the exercise. Last April, KADSUBEB reinstated 1,288 sacked teachers, arguing that ‘’having examined and verified their complaints, the state government approved the reinstatement of 392 teachers, who wrote and passed the test, and 515 central administration staff that were officially exempted from the test.
