The Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mallam Ja’afaru Sani, said the government has recruited additional 13,606 qualified primary school teachers, including a Ph.D holder in the state.
Sani said the exercise marked the completion of the 25,000 vacancy announced after the sack of the 22,000 unqualified teachers in the state in January, this year.
The Commissioner also noted that in addition to the Ph.D holder, 8,494 of the 25,000 recruited teachers were first degree holders while the remaining were National Certificate in Education (NCE) holders.
Addressing news conference in Kaduna on Saturday, Sani also announced that the state had commenced full implementation of free education for girls in the public secondary schools across the state.
This, the commissioner said was in compliance with directives from the state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
He said about 191,445 female students currently in public schools are to benefit from the gesture which would cost the government N143.587 million every term and N430.791 million every year respectively.
He said the decision became necessary in order to remove all obstacles stopping the girl-child from acquiring education in the state.
“We hope by this gesture parents will have no excuse not to send their girl-child to school and significantly increase enrolment and retention of the girl-child in school.
“It will be recalled that the female students were accorded priority when the government distribute 15,000 tablets computers to secondary school students,” he added.
He added that about N900 million and N70.335 million have been expended on girl-child scholarship and female teacher support respectively under the World Bank’s 21.5 million dollars grant for Global Partnership for Education project.
He also disclosed some of the supporters to include T. Y. Danjuma Foundation that supported 120 girls, Centre for Girl Education of ABU Zaria, 250 girls, and Girl-Child Concern, 750 girls.
“Similarly, Mercy Corps Foundation in collaboration with the education ministry had equally returned 100 married women dropped-out back to school,” Sani added.
