Thousands of primary schoolteachers in Nigeria’s Kaduna State have failed the very exams they prepare pupils for.
Authorities in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna State say more than 20,000 primary school teachers will be dismissed as they failed to pass examination tests meant for their pupils.
This is coming amid apprehension that most primary and secondary schools in Nigeria are churning out half-baked students.
State governor Nasir El-Rufai said that 21,780 teachers, or two-thirds of them, failed to score 75% or higher on assessments usually given to six-year-olds.
Mr El-Rufai said all 33,000 primary schoolteachers in Kaduna State took the test.
He made the comments at a meeting with World Bank representatives at his offices, adding:
“The hiring of teachers in the past was politicised and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified primary school teachers to restore the dignity of education in the state.”
Mr. El-Rufai said qualified teachers would be employed to replace the dismissed teachers.
It is unclear when this will happen.
A senior official in the state told the BBC that more tests would also be carried out in the coming weeks for secondary school teachers to determine their suitability.
Analysts say the figures are a terrible reminder of the deplorable state of education in Nigeria, where it is alleged that the hiring of teachers has always been politicised.
Source: BBC