The government of Kaduna State has announced that 2,357 teachers, including Audu Amba, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), have been fired for failing or refusing to take the State Universal Basic Education Board’s competency exam (KADSUBEB).
Both the competency test and the firing of teachers were unconstitutional.
The Board will conduct a competency test for over 30,000 teachers in December 2021, according to a statement released by KADSUBEB on Sunday.
According to KADSUBEB, 2,192 primary school teachers were sacked for refusing to take the competency test, including the NUT National President.
165 of the 27,662 teachers who took the competency test were also sacked for low performance, according to the report.
The Board of Directors claims
“In December 2021, KADSUBEB conducted another teacher competency test in response to the State Government’s decision for ongoing teacher assessment to guarantee better delivery of learning outcomes for learners.”
“Teachers who received less than a 40% score are no longer needed, and their public service appointments have been terminated due to their poor performance.”
“Teachers who received a score of 75% or better on the test are considered to have passed and are eligible to attend leadership and school administration courses.”
Qualified instructors will be included in Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programs to help them improve their ability to give quality education to pupils, according to the report.
“Teachers who received a score of 40% to 74% but did not meet the minimal pass mark would be given another chance to enhance their skills.”
“KADSUBEB has launched viable teacher training programs under its statutory TPD with the help of the state government and development partners.”
“The training programs will be held at the end-of-term break and in their individual schools to minimize disruptions to teaching and learning.”
“They are also encouraged to support the government’s efforts by seeking personal growth for their own advantage,” says the statement.
“The board assures teachers and the public that it remains committed to ensuring their continued professional development as well as improving the learning outcomes of pupils and students,” KADSUBEB said.
Dalhatu responded by claiming that the competency test and the dismissal of the teachers were both illegal.
“We secured a court order prohibiting the Board from administering the competency test; the test was given in violation of the law.”
“When we found out that they were going to be fired, we asked the teachers not to take the exam.”
We warned that any teacher who took the unlawful exam would not be protected by the union if they were victimized, but some teachers nevertheless took it out of fear.
“If correct procedures are followed, we are not opposed to administering the competency test, but it should not be used as a reason for dismissing instructors.”
“The competency test should be used to detect teachers’ ability shortages, and specific training programs should be tailored to help them increase their skills,” he said.