The National Union of Teachers has hailed the Kaduna state government for reinstating the 1,288 teachers sacked for failing a competency test.
In June 2022, the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB) sacked 2357 teachers for failing the test.
Almost a year later, in April 2023, the government agency approved the reinstatement of 1288 primary school teachers.
“Having examined and verified their complaints the state government approved the reinstatement,” Hauwa Mohammed, spokesperson of the KADSUBEB, had said.
Mohammed said the government reinstated 392 teachers who wrote and passed the test, 515 central administration staff who were officially exempted and 298 teachers who were verified to be sick at the time of the test.
Sixty-one teachers that were kidnapped or involved in accidents were also taken back, while 22, who were permanently removed from the payroll for unsubstantiated claims, were equally reinstated.
Reacting in a letter dated April 5, Adamu Kaltungo, the state secretary of NUT, said the union appreciates the government’s “kind gesture” in recalling the affected teachers.
“The reinstatement will go a long way in bridging the gap of the teacher-pupil ratio being experienced in the public primary school sector,” he said.