KDSG says teachers must be licensed before teaching, no teacher on half salaries
((L-R SA (Media & Communications) to Gov El-Rufai, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye and VP, NUJ (Northwest), Comr Idris Yusuf during discussions on multi-year drafted budget for Kaduna State over the weekend. Photo crefict to Shola Ojo))
//Budget: Godwin Ekosin, Kaduna//
In its possible efforts to transform education of the state to enviable standard, Kaduna State Government said any teacher that will henceforth teach in its schools must be licensed to ensure capability beyond certificates.
The State’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Andrew Jonathan Nok, who stated this during a roundtable discussions with Journalists on multi-year draft budget for the state at the Secretariat of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna Council over the weekend said, there was ongoing general assessment of teachers in the state in order to give room to qualified ones.
He denied that any teacher is placed on half salaries, saying he’s looking forward to petition from such teacher. He also said the verification exercise embarked upon some months ago has ended.
Prof Nok noted with regret, a situation where a teacher with National Certificate of Education (NCE) in geography could not spell the word geography, wondering the type of knowledge such a teacher will impact into his students.
He said his ministry is doing general assessment examination of teachers and they will remedy those that can be remedied, but those that are not qualified will be sent to other sector where they can be productive.
Special Adviser to Governor El-Rufai (Media and Communications) Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye tasked journalists to move away from views reporting to factual reportage of events, and uphold the ethics of journalism profession in carrying out their duty.
He frowned at a situation where media men take views of news makers to the public realm without verifying the authenticity of such views.
Earlier, Acting Chairman of NUJ, Mrs. Zhiroh Jarius Jatau in her welcome address noted that, as members of the fourth estate of the realm and stakeholders in National Development, responsibilities of Journalists in educating and enlightening members of the public cannot be over emphasized.
She however expressed delight that, the roundtable discussion will serve as an opportunity for members of the press and public, to be better informed on what the administration is providing for the overall development of the state.
On their part, the Commissioners present did justice to the subject matter, which is the 2017 Draft Budget by fully explained and clarified grey areas on what the budget entails, especially, as it affects their respective ministries and effects on people resident in the state.
It was noted that the draft budget reviewed is intended for the continued progress and development of the state. It is also said to geared towards taking sectors that were hitherto, stagnant or suffered neglect in the state into limelight, so that value would be added to such sectors to accelerate growth and development.
He said it was based on the ugly financial discovery that, the current administration decided to operate zero based budget where every naira budgeted is tagged to a verifiable project which the people could hold government accountable to.