PTA teachers, public servants have advantage in getting Oyo teaching jobs ― TESCOM boss

Teachers that were engaged by the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of schools and those public servants who have acquired additional educational qualification will have an edge in the ongoing process of recruiting teaching staff by the Oyo State government.

Similarly, those N-power beneficiaries teaching in the state’s schools, that have a good report from their places of assignment, and applied for the Oyo state teaching jobs, will be given some priority.

Chairman, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Oyo State, Mr Akinade Alamu, who made this known while interacting with Tribune Online, in his office at state Secretariat, Ibadan, said the PTA teachers and public servants, especially TESCOM staff, will be given an advantage because they already had experience in service.

Alamu, however, said it wasn’t a free entry for the said categories of applicants as they will only be engaged if they were found competent, capable and had the required educational qualifications.

“We have public servants, especially those working at TESCOM. They have studied and acquired additional qualification and want to convert to teaching, they will be taken care of. They will have added advantage because they are already serving.

ALSO READ: Bloomberg drops out, backs Biden in Democratic presidential race

“That is about 2,000, though I know not all of them will scale through. Apart from those, we have PTA teachers that are working for the government before this recruitment and government want us to consider them.

“We will consider those who are qualified, capable and competent. That is another set of about 2,000 and we will take care of those people. However, not all of them will also scale through.

“If the N-power people apply and have good report, they will be given priority. We do get a lot of information and some of the N-power people have not been committed. However, those who have good report from where they are serving will also be given priority,” Alamu said.

Speaking further, Alamu described as baseless those insinuations that the process of recruitment would not be transparent, noting that all who correctly fill the required information in their forms and are qualified will be invited for the Computer Based Test (CBT).

Alamu said the commission considered all forms submitted, whether stamped, numbered or not, and would call those shortlisted for CBT before end of the month.

While noting that the TESCOM headquarters awaited the computerized data of applicants from its other stations, Alamu said a total of 64,000 applicants submitted their forms at the TESCOM headquarters at State Secretariat, Ibadan.

“Whether your form has a number or your form is stamped, or not stamped, it has nothing to do with your qualification. The information that we require on the forms with numbers or the forms downloaded on the website is the same. We don’t need the stamp, number on any form. It is the same form issued by TESCOM Oyo State.

“Definitely the CBT is likely to come up towards the end of this month. All the insinuations that some will not be called for the exam are baseless. We are transparent in this exercise.

“We have other ministries serving as advisory committee like the Ministry for Establishment, Ministry for Education, Civil Service Commission all involved in the exercise. I can assure you that the process will be 100 per cent transparent. The public should have confidence in us and we will never do anything that will cast aspersions on us.

“It is implied that when you have about a hundred applicants filling forms, you may have some who may not fill the forms properly, we will check all these. If the pieces of information are correctly submitted to us, they will be called to take part in the CBT but if someone is not qualified, we will not call such a person for CBT.

“There is no point spending government money to test someone that you know is not qualified. By the time, we get all the returns, we will scrutinize them with the advisory committees but once that is sorted out, we will call those who are qualified and those who filled their forms properly will all take part in the test,” Alamu said.

He further disclosed that state governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, had approved of the request of those staff engaged by the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) seeking conversion to TESCOM staff.

Alamu, however, noted that the converted SUBEB staff was not part of the 7,000 teaching staff whose process of recruitment is ongoing.

“There is also the question of teachers employed by SUBEB who want to convert to TESCOM staff permanently because they think that will better their career.

The governor has approved that they are converted to TESCOM staff although this is not included in the 7,000,” Alamu said.