The NUT Chairman in Plateau, Mr Gunshin Yarlings, said few qualified teachers in the state were not properly motivated to work.
He said that the Plateau Government had not promoted any teacher since 2008, owed them allowances and delayed the payment of salaries.
Yarlings said that in spite of the situation, teachers in the state were diligent in discharging their duties and had excelled in national evaluation of teachers.
He said a teacher in Jos North Local Government Area emerged the best in Junior Secondary School cadre in 2012, while a teacher in Mangu Local Government Area was overall best in 2010.
The PTA Chairman, Plateau chapter, Mr Sylvester Yakubu, said more than 80 per cent of teachers in public schools were employed by the association.
He alleged that since 2011 vacancies created by retired and teachers who had died were not replaced by the government.
Yakubu said the association had helped in building laboratories in eight communities spread across Barkin Ladi, Pankshin, Kuru, Jengre, Garkawa, Kurgwi and Langtang North local government areas.
He said the association had also supported government in erecting structures and facilities to create favourable environments for learning. .
He called on the government to employ more teachers and establish a vibrant education board which would involve all stakeholders in efforts to improve the performance of students.
The Plateau Commissioner for Education, Dr. Athanasius Dashen, said there were 99,000 students in public secondary schools in the state and 3,000 teachers.
He said more than 300 public secondary schools and 500 private secondary schools in the state were supervised by a committee coordinated by the Quality Assurance Department of the ministry.
Dashen said that the department monitored schools to ensure the maintenance of standards.
He said the state had teachers’ colleges in Gindiri and a Federal Teachers’ College in Pankshin.
Dashen said, however, that over the years the facilities had been over- stretched with more students and no corresponding increase in amenities.
He advised parents to take their wards to schools with capacity to develop them.
Dashen said the lack of consistency in government had also adversely affected the education sector.
He said the government inherited a dilapidated education sector and would take a longer period for an overall turnaround of the system. [eap_ad_1] The commissioner said the government trained teachers through intervention programmes by Universal Basic Education Commission with counterpart funding from the state government.
He said government also organised workshops, especially for science teachers.
In Birnin Kebbi, The Chairman of Birnin Kebbi zone of NUT, Malam Zaki Sarki, said at the primary and Junior Secondary School level there were 5,000 unqualified teachers.
He said 2,000 among the lot were those with Senior School Certificate, Grade II Teacher’s Certificates and other lower qualifications.
Sarki said the remaining were holders of OND, HND and university degrees without training in education.
He noted the National Certificate of Education NCE, was the minimum teaching qualification in the country.
Alhaji Haruna Aliero, the state SUBEB Chairman, said the board had intensified efforts in regular school inspection to ensure full implementation of the education curriculum.
Aliero said “we organise workshops and training for our teachers on regular basis.’’
He said teachers’ salaries were paid regularly while promotions were regular.
Aliero said many teachers had been released for training.
He said 4,000 unqualified teachers were undergoing NCE, PGDE and advanced diploma programmes in education at the National Teachers Institute. .
Hajiya Ana Fakai, the state Coordinator of Schools Basic Management Committee, said her team regularly inspected schools.
Alhaji Aminu Birnin Kebbi, the state Chairman of All Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, said the association was worried about the poor performance of students.
However, the Commissioner for Education in Kebbi, Alhaji Samaila Kamba and his staff refused to answer questions on the issue.
The officials told NAN that “most of your questions touch on our confidentiality and we would not attend to you.’’
NAN, however, learnt that WAEC had yet to release the WASSE results of 5,000 indigent students from Kebbi because of the failure of the state government to pay their registration fees. (NAN)
[eap_ad_4]