FG hires more teachers to boost learning in unity colleges

THE Federal Ministry of Education said on Thursday that it recruited about 870 teachers into the 104 unity colleges across the country in the last six months.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Echono said that the move was to further boost the quality of academic activities as well as enhance the performance of the students of the colleges.

He noted that of the total number of teachers recruited, over 500 had already been posted to their respective places of assignment.

“So far in the last six months, we have hired about 870 teachers for our unity schools across the country.

“We have already posted over 500 of these teachers to various colleges and the remaining will be posted shortly.

“Hopefully, before the resumption of schools in September for the new academic year, the remaining teachers will be posted to the colleges.

“In all, we shall be having not less than 900 new teachers of various key subjects injected into our schools,” he said.

According to him, the recruitment of teachers and provision of adequate facilities were key ways of improving teaching and learning in the schools.

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Echono added that the ministry was mindful of the need to consistently improve service delivery in the colleges and make them super models.

The permanent secretary said efforts were being made to regularise the appointment of teachers hired by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the various colleges.

He said that the ministry had commenced the screening of the documents of the category of teachers, adding that those who were qualified and hard working would be recruited.

“You know the teachers hired by the PTA to fill the existing vacancies in some subjects are not being paid the desired remuneration.

“We have not less than 1,700 of them. We have screened them and about 800 of them who are qualified have been recommended to the Federal Civil Service Commission for consideration.

“We have also included that in our 2018 vacancy declaration as that is what will enable us to carry out the recruitment,” Echono said.