Stakeholders Urge States, LGs To Plan Absorption Of New Recruits

The Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) wants states and local governments to plan to absorb the 500,000 teachers after the expiration of their two-year engagement by the Federal Government.

CSACEFA’s National Moderator, Malam Kabiru Aliyu, who briefed newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, said that such absorption would address the shortage of qualified teachers in the states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government recently announced the commencement of the process of recruitment of the 500,000 teachers promised by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

A statement by Mr. Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, said the recruitment would be done online and would be a two-year paid programme.

Aliyu commended the Federal Government for the recruitment and the National School Feeding programme, adding that the schemes would move the education sector forward.

“As often said, no nation can rise above its educational standard as education is the bedrock of every society.

“This recognition has been demonstrated in the administration’s plan towards moving the education sector forward through the roll out of several initiatives.

“The initiatives are the recruitment of 500,000 teachers, launching of National School Feeding Programme, the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme, among others.

“We advise that states and local governments should start looking at ways of absorbing the new recruits after the expiration of their two years of engagement, to address the shortage of qualified teachers in our schools.”

Aliyu, however, said that there were still some critical issues that needed to be addressed toward ensuring Education for All.

He urged the government to resort to Public Private Partnership, to ensure sustainability of the programmes.

According to him, a strong monitoring structure should be set up involving school-based management committee, civil society organisations and the media, among others, to ensure compliance to the school feeding programme.

Aliyu said that government should conduct a needs assessment to determine the distribution process of the new teachers, when recruited.

The moderator also said that there was the need for qualified teachers to mentor the recruits.

(NAN)