Gov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State said on Saturday that the recent verification exercise by the state government has revealed no fewer than 2,000 teachers with fake certificates employed in public schools.
Mr. Yakowa disclosed this at the second National Joint Graduation ceremony of the National Teachers’ Institute in Kaduna.
He noted that nearly 50 per cent of the fake teachers lacked the required teaching qualification.
He said that in the effort to improve the education sector, the state government had designed a road map that would assist in achieving the desired change.
“The road map is aimed at addressing teacher quality through capacity building, infrastructural development, increasing access and provision of facilities, new quality assurance system and the development of tertiary institutions owned by the state government.”
He stressed the need to enhance teachers’ education, quality and professional development in order to transform the education sector, adding that such measure would help transform other sectors.
“Teacher quality dictates the success of any educational pursuits and that is why we agree totally with the national policy on education which says: No nation rises above the quality of its teachers.”
According to him, the state government has also enacted a law on quality control in the pursuit of quality teaching that can deliver the required development of children.
“We have not spared any effort in ensuring that our teachers are exposed to best practice through continuous training.
“We have also established benchmarks for literacy and numeracy at the primary school level to ensure that only the best and the most qualified teacher remains in the classroom.”
Mr. Yakowa said the state government had also revised the procedure for the appointment of educational secretaries at the local government level.
He said this would de-politicise the appointment process and ensure that only the most qualified professionals were recruited.
The governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to the ‘Almajiri’ school system being championed by the Federal Government.
“The significance of the establishment of the Almajiri School is to cater for the large number of `Almajiris’ in the state and to prepare them for integration into the larger society.”
He, therefore, called on the people to assist the government to sustain peace, unity and meaningful development in the state.
“We are deeply worried by the spate of security challenges that pervades our society today.
“Kaduna State, and indeed, Nigeria need peace and harmony for purposeful growth and development.
“We are calling on all concerned parties to come forward for dialogue and to stop all forms of bickering and violence. ”
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director-General of NTI, Dr Aminu Sharehu, said that over 40,000 primary school teachers from 20 states were trained in Continuing Professional Development Programmes (CPD) within the last three years.
Mr. Sharehu further said that 825,000 teachers were also trained under the MDGs capacity building programme.
He said the institute had received computers worth N1 billion from donor agencies for the establishment of computer laboratories in each of the states and the FCT.
The director-general called for adequate funding to enable the institute to execute programmes that would to enhance teacher education.
He said 58,320 graduates acquired professional qualification in National Certificate of Education (NCE), Advanced Diploma and Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) between 2005 and 2011.
Mr. Sharehu said that the institute would confer Fellowship on the President, Commonwealth of Learning, Prof. Ashar Kanwar, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Gov. Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State.
Others to be invested as Ambassadors of the institute are Prof. Adamu Baike, Afe Babalola, Prof. Thomas Adeyanju, Govs. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo.
He said that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua and late Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa, a former Minister of Education, would also receive posthumous awards.
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