Abia recruits 2, 500 teachers, sets up taskforce to enforce Out-Of-School Children Policy
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State government says that it would soon recruit 2, 500 teachers for the Basic and Post-Basic schools, using an online platform.
The government also said that it has recruited “School Marshals” to enforce the state’s out-of-School children policy to realize its objective of ensuring that every child in that state benefits from the free and compulsory education policy, up to junior secondary school level, recently announced by the Governor Alex Otti-led administration.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed these on Tuesday while briefing newsmen at Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting.
Prince Kanu said that arrangements have been concluded to employ 2,500 teachers across the state to fill vacancies already existing in the school system.
Recall that at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, Governor Alex Otti had promised to recruit 5, 000 teachers into the state’s school system to improve the standard of education in the state.
“The State Government has also concluded plans for massive employment of teachers in the state for both primary and secondary schools. This, of course, is another pointer to how important this sector is to the Governor,” Prince Kanu said.
The Commissioner equally announced that the state government has commenced the full implementation of the out-of-school children policy, as School Marshals have been appointed to work with the harmonized taskforce in the state to achieve the objective of government in that regard.
According to him, having commenced compulsory, free education for pupils and students of Basic Education, there was need to ensure the out-of-school children policy was made effective.
The information Commissioner also announced that government has introduced Mathematics Clinics for students in examination classes of JSS 3 and SS3 which would hold on Tuesdays and Thursdays of every week, between the hours of 7-7:45.00 a.m, to fully realize the STEM policy of the present administration.
“The Abia State Ministry of Basic Education has fully commenced with the enforcement of Out-of-School Children Policy initiative with the appointment of Education Marshalls.
“Also to strengthen its programme for our schools the state government has introduced a Mathematics Clinic that would run from Tuesdays through Thursdays to enhance the teaching of Mathematics.
“Mathematics, we know, is very basic to the realisation of the STEM subjects. STEM subjects involve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and Mathematics is the bedrock for the development of science and technology, ” Prince Kanu explained.
Expatiating on what his colleague said, the Commissioner for Basic Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, stressed the essence of quality education, saying that it could not be achieved without teachers.
“There is no way we can talk about quality education without teachers. In our schools, we don’t have sufficient number of teachers to handle most of the subjects.
“Before now, there have been speculations all over the place about employment of teachers. It is now, within the week, we are going to make public the modalities. It is not going to be a process where you bring your application to the Ministry or to whoever. We are going to have a platform where we do it online.
According to Elder Ubochi, enforcement of the free and compulsory basic education policy of the state government was essential as education is pertinent to the Dr. Alex Otti-led administration.
“To make this work, the Ministry established what we called ‘Education Marshalls.’ They will work like taskforce but not in the same modality.
“The essence of setting up this group is to move around during school hours, any child that is of school age seen around will be picked up, not to be beaten or embarrassed, but be taken to the school nearest to him or her.
“But before he or she is taken to the school, we will use the child to locate the parents or guardians or whoever has been keeping the child and we will be able to find out why he is holding back the child from going to school,” Ubochi explained.
He equally explained that the reason for the STEM education programme was that government wants to build confidence of the external examination or certificate class students of JSS 3 and SS 3.
He said such students would be resuming classes from 7,00 a.m before the normal school period commences and that they would be learning Mathematics from seasoned teachers in the morning and extension of closure time from 2pm to 4pm for other science subjects such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry and English.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Prof. Joel Ogbonna, Special Adviser to Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Citizen Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, were present during the briefing.
