14,729 candidates sit for Federal Teachers Scheme exams

A total of 14,729 candidates on Monday sat for Computer Based Test (CBT) for selection into the 2020 Federal Teachers Scheme (FTS) being coordinated by the Universal Basic Education Commission.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, disclosed that the Commission received over 35,000 applications nationwide and that those taking tests were candidates who were able to sail through the initial screening process.

The examination according to him, took place simultaneously in 74 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) approved centers in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking while monitoring the exercise in some Centres in Abuja, Bobboyi, disclosed that a total of 3,700 teachers would be engaged for the scheme, which is 100 per state, for a period of two years.

He said the intervention programme was established by the Federal Government in 2006 to assist states address shortage of teachers at the basic education level, noting that the cut off would be determined by states while verification of certificates would be carried out by UBEC thereafter.

He said: “We have 400 teachers from every state of the federation and the FCT which makes a total of 14, 729. Of course, it should have been 14, 800 but in the pre-qualification that took place, the numbers ended at that.

“The federal Teachers Scheme has been operating since 2006 but the whole idea is to ensure that states are assisted particularly to find teachers for rural schools in those unreached areas where the states might be having problems.

“But the second aspect is also the training aspect where we ensure that these teachers get all the necessary training that they required to be fully absorbed by the various states of the federation.”

Bobboyi further stressed that the number of teachers currently in the system is not adequate but the major challenge has been getting the qualified teachers that can make the difference.

“Looking at the global figures that we have in the various indices including the National Policy on Education, there are very specific ratios in terms of what really we required at the level of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), at the level of primary as well as at the level of Junior Secondary Schools.

“The basic education sector has about 42 million pupils at different levels, for teachers again, we have a total of 1.4 million teachers that we have in this system, the last time we look at those figures. Yes we need more teachers but the key challenge is in the area of qualified teachers, that’s where the problem is,” the UBEC boss said.

He also commended the conduct of the examination during his visit to CBT Center in Logo and JAMB headquarters in Bwari respectively.

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