As part of measures to reform its education sector, the Borno State Government has begun rehabilitation of primary schools across the state and also pledged improved welfare for teachers in ensuring a strong educational foundation for pupils in the state.
It explained that the recourse to elementary education was to ensure a sound foundation in which the secondary and tertiary schools in the state can build upon to lay a path for an education success story in the state.
The State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, said that the school rehabilitation and ongoing teachers’ verification exercise in the state was part of his administration’s commitment to develop and revamp the educational sector.
The Governor who spoke when he paid an unscheduled visit to the headquarters of the State Universal Basic Education Board, venue of the ongoing teachers’ verification exercise on Thursday, noted that unqualified teachers would not be accepted in the state.
He, however, reiterated his administration’s commitment towards supporting teachers in the state with necessary amenities, including improved welfare to ensure effectiveness and highest standard of professionalism.
“This morning we have inspected primary schools within the metropolis, I have constituted a committee a few months ago, and have examined the structures. Insha Allah, we will provide all the necessary infrastructures at our primary schools, but the most important thing is the teachers. If you cannot have qualified teachers in primary schools, I think all the facelift and rehabilitation are exercise in futility.
“We will give greater priority to the kind of teachers in our primary schools if the foundation is weak there is no way the Secondary and tertiary education in the state will be sound. The quality of pupils in the primary schools determine our output in secondary schools.
“The major reason our students in secondary schools cannot obtain credits is that they don’t have the requisite training at the primary school level. This administration will give all the necessary support to you to be able to discharge your duties. We will examine your report at the end of the exercise, those that we felt they should be allowed to go on training, we can train them.
“We shall Insha Allah provide accommodation for teachers, loans, and improve the welfare of our teachers. But how can we do that? We have to get the system right, our teachers should be qualified and genuine.” Zulum said.
