The Kaduna education controversy

The Kaduna State government’s policy is nothing but a wrong prescription for a severe disease. The affected teachers were selected whimsically, illogically employed, politically trained and remunerated unfairly.

How do you expect them to deliver effectively? This is a liability the governor inherited and he cannot but manage the teachers. After all, he also inherited assets.

Secondly, which kind of teachers does the Kaduna State governor plan to employ with a salary of less than N30,000 per month? The governor can only get those that have failed in their bid to get oil and gas jobs.

When was the last time the teachers about to be sacked received training? Even the first class graduates employed by multi-national companies receive on-the-job trainings.

A teacher whose last training was in the 1980s can’t but be outdated. You don’t expect a poorly trained workforce to be effective.

Balance sheet used to be spoken of in the 1990s but not anymore, yet many teachers of Accounting in Nigeria don’t know this. The problem is that those that know are probably writing professional exams.

When they exit the system, those that do not know what contemporary accounting is will remain in the system.  The problem is not only in Kaduna; it is probably in all states where teachers don’t attend on-the-job training.

The governor cannot sack the affected teachers. He can establish a farm and sponsor a bill which provides that any teacher who scores below a certain percentage in a competency test will be transferred to the farm and more qualified teachers employed to reform the state’s crumbling educational sector.

The above will probably save the governor stress and embarrassment and also birth another source of income for the state.

Secondly, the salary structure should be reviewed to attract, retain and motivate a qualified and experienced workforce.

No qualified teacher will continue teaching while receiving a salary that embarrasses him.

On-the-job training isn’t a choice but a necessity. You don’t get effective delivery of service from an outdated workforce.

Olawole Boy

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