Ibrahim Dalhatu, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Kaduna, has deemed illegal the state government’s competency exam and the dismissal of 2,357 teachers.
This occurs just as the state government, through the State Universal Basic Education Board, has announced the dismissal of 2,357 teachers, including the National President of the NUT, Audu Amba, for failing the competency test.
On Sunday, however, the chairman of the NUT warned journalists that the qualification exam and the dismissal of the instructors were unlawful.
According to him, the teachers’ organisation in the state obtained a court order prohibiting the board from administering the exam, but the board disregarded the ruling.
According to him, the NUT in the state asked the teachers not to write the examination after learning that the intent was to sack them.
He said, “We have secured a court order restraining the board from conducting the competency test, it conducted the test without recourse to the rule of law.
“We asked the teachers not to sit for the examination after learning that the intent was to sack them.
“We warned that any teacher who participates in the illegal examination would not be protected by the union if victimised, but some of the teachers went ahead to write the examination out of fear.
“We are not against the conduct of the competency test if due process is followed, but it should not be used as a basis for sacking teachers. The competency test should be used to determine teachers’ capacity gap and tailored specific training programmes to improve their capacities.”
The board had, in statement by Hauwa Mohammed, said it a competency test for over 30,000 teachers in Dec. 2021.
She said 2,192 primary school teachers including the National President of the NUT had been dismissed for refusing to sit for the competency test.
According to her, some 165 of the 27,662 teachers that sat for the competency test were also sacked for poor performances.
The statement said, “Following the state government’s resolution for continued assessment of teachers to ensure better delivery of learning outcomes for pupils, KADSUBEB conducted another competency test for the teachers in December 2021.
“The services of teachers who scored below 40 per cent are no longer required and their appointments have been terminated from the Public Service for their poor performances.
“Teachers who scored 75 per cent and above were recognised as those who passed the test and qualified for attending courses in leadership and school management.”
