The federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced plan to recruit 3,500 teaching staff across the Federal Unity Colleges.
Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, said that the recruitment of teachers would go a long way in improving the country’s quality of education.
The minister spoke at a two-day national stakeholders’ forum on Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria organised by the National Senior Secondary Education Commission with the theme: Revitalising Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria for Global Competitiveness.
He said: ”I want to assure you that the Ministry is currently collaborating with the Office of the Head of Service, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and other relevant government organs to recruit 3,500 teaching staff in the Federal Ministry of Education.
“This will be for the utilisation of our various federal government colleges nationwide. It will go a long way in improving the quality of education.
”Not only that but also as part of our project, the Ministry has organised extensive training and retraining of all staff in schools.”
Sununu also said that the ministry had trained over 1,000 staff in the application of technology in education through its research resource centre.
He further said that more than 53 vocational skills acquisition centres had been built to cater to the skills needs of the young ones.
According to the minister, this is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Sununu also said that approval had been secured to build an additional 50 model schools across the country to enhance teaching and learning.
He said: ”The ability to revitalise the Senior Secondary Education sub-sector to meet global demands, is not merely a function of the mind, but also a function of key actions that optimise the system.
”Today marks a significant step in our journey to enhance the quality of education for our young learners.
”Senior Secondary Education is a critical phase, shaping the future of our learners and by extension, our nation.
“This explains our efforts in ensuring that our education system is robust, dynamic, and capable of meeting global standards.”
Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Dr Iyela Ajayi emphasised the need for stakeholders to take ownership of the national policy on senior secondary education and its implementation guidelines.
He said: “The federal government alone cannot succeed in repositioning senior secondary education.
“We must mobilise all relevant stakeholders, including state governments, NGOs, development partners, educationalists, and those concerned about education.
“We need to bring them together to brainstorm, identify problems, and provide solutions.”
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, called for a total overhaul of the senior secondary curriculum to meet global competitiveness.
Abbas, who was represented by the chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Mark Usani, highlighted some challenges senior secondary education faced in the country.
He listed the challenges to include a lack of qualified teachers, funding, and inadequate infrastructure, among others.