By Mohammed Baba Busu
Lafia, – The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged the local government areas and the state government to put machinery in place for the employment of competent and qualified primary school teachers in the state.
The house said that the call was necessary due to the falling standard of primary education in the state.
Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Speaker of the house made the call after Mr Daniel Ogazi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, raised the issue on the matters of public importance during the house proceedings in Lafia on Monday.
The speaker said if competent and qualified teachers are employed to man the affairs of primary schools, it would go a long way in reviving the falling standard of primary education in the state.
Abdullahi said that the state government was doing well by providing structures across primary schools in the state but it would amount to nothing, if there are no qualified and competent teachers.
“I want to appreciate Assemblyman Ogazi for bringing this matter and to also appreciate the House Committee on Education for their efforts in monitoring education sector.
“I also want to commend all members for your contributions on this subject matter.
“Our resolution is that we urge the state government to declare a state of emergency in primary education and
“That the local government areas in conjunction with the state government to put machinery in place for the employment of primary school teachers in the state,” he said.
The speaker urged members and other people, especially public office holders, to send their children to public schools to ensure that the sector is revived.
“I believe, we all attended public schools, and if we send our children to public schools, it will revive the system and ensure quality education in the state,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Majority Leader and Chairman House Committee on Education, while raising the issue on the matters of public interest said that there was urgent need for government to employ primary school teachers in order to arrest the situation in the primary schools.
“Mr Speaker and my honourable colleagues, in the course of our oversight function, we discovered that from 2011 to 2021, we have 3,665 primary school teachers, who have died or retired.
“And there have never been employment of primary school teachers since 2011 to 2021.
“The level of primary education is devastating; the state government is doing well in the area of infrastructure but there are no teachers in the primary schools.
“If nothing is done, the standard of primary education will continue to be affected negatively.
“It is in view of this that I call for the employment of primary schools teachers in the state in order to address the situation,” he said.
In their contributions, Messers Peter Akwe, Suleiman Yakubu-Azara, John Osewu and Mohammed Okpoku, appreciated Ogazi for raising the issue.
They also lamented on lack of teachers in primary schools and called on government to employ primary school teachers, considering the fact that primary education is the foundation of all educations.(NAN)
