Kaduna teachers to el-Rufai: We won’t write another competency test

*Allege motive behind the test is to downsize workforce, same way as was done 3 years ago

*Say only TRCN has legal backing to conduct such exercise

Teachers in Kaduna State, on Wednesday, vowed that they would not write another competency test as was demanded by the Governor Nasir el-Rufai-led administration in the state.

Recall that the Kaduna State government recently announced plans to conduct another competency test for primary school teachers to ensure quality teaching in basic schools. The first test was conducted in 2017.

The umbrella union of teachers in the state, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) which made the vow, said it will not present its members for another competency test by the Kaduna State.

NUT spoke at the end of their congress held in Kaduna on Wednesday.

“The motive behind the test is to downsize the workforce the same way it was done three years ago,” the teachers’ union alleged.

During the Congress attended by some National officers, the State Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Dalhatu, said the meeting was important so as to brief the teachers on the steps taken so far by the leadership of NUT.

“The National leadership has set up a 5-man Committee to advice accordingly and after the submission of their report, we all agreed that our teachers will not write any competency test because the Kaduna State Government has no legal ground to conduct such assessment as it is only the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) that has the legal backing to conduct such exercise.

“What informed the meeting is that the Governor wants to conduct another competency test for our Primary School Teachers. The National head office has constituted a five-man committee to speak with the people.

We have written to them to confirm whether the information we saw on social media is true or not but we did not get any response from them, only for them to send us the timetable scheduled for the exams,” he said.

The National President of NUT, Comrade Nasir Idris, said it is not only teachers that are working in Kaduna State, adding, ”we consider the move as another deliberate attempt to intimidate teachers in the state, therefore the union will not be so foolish to submit herself to fall victim again.”

Represented by the Deputy National Vice President, NUT, Comrade Nwankwo Kelvin, Idris said that it was the same Kaduna State Government three years ago that said they have recruited competent teachers, and expressed that the move to conduct another competency test for the same people whom the Government tagged competent 3 years ago is absurd; a crime not only against humanity but also against God.

“SUPEB does not have the legality to conduct competency test for teachers. We won’t be so foolish to submit ourselves to fall victim again. Once beaten, once shy. We won’t be so foolish to submit ourselves to fall victim again.

“Is it only teachers that are working in Kaduna State? What happened to Hosp2@2@itals? Buildings are collapsing too among other sectors. Why only teachers all the time? This act of intimidation against teachers in Kaduna State is not only a crime against humanity but also against God.

“The union is not afraid of exams because they are competent but only a competent organ is legally allowed to conduct such assessment.

”We assure teachers in Kaduna State that the national headquarters will not leave them to their fate, we are solidly behind you. No more repression, intimidation, victimisation of teachers in Kaduna State,” he said.