The Kaduna State deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, said the state government has concluded plans to recruit 10,000 primary school teachers to replace those disengaged to improve the teacher-pupil ratio.
Balarabe stated this yesterday at the inauguration of the distribution of learning materials to pupils in 4,260 public primary schools and 838 learning centres.
KEMI FILANI NEWS recalls that the Kaduna government sacked 2,357 primary school teachers for failing competency tests.
The state government had in 2018 sacked 21,780 for failing a similar test, while 233 others were sacked in December 2021 for allegedly presenting fake certificates.
According to Balarabe, the government would continue to weed out unqualified teachers in public schools, and no amount of distraction would stop it.
“The quality of instruction is very important in determining the educational outcomes of our children, and we cannot allow only the children of a few to steal the advantage that education provides.
“Nor shall we continue to allow poor quality education to be available to the children of the weak and vulnerable in our society, who attend public schools.
“Children of the poor also deserve competent teachers, and it is our sworn responsibility to ensure that they get it,” she said.
The deputy governor disclosed that more than 500 public primary and secondary schools have been renovated and perimeter fencing provided in many schools as required by the UN agencies for the security of children.
She said when poor children are exposed to books early, they would learn to read better, adding that the more children have access to books the more likely they would learn better.