The Borno State Government has released the sum of N708.3m for the training of 781 teachers drawn from 19 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
The training marked the phase 11 training programme teachers started by the State Ministry of Education early this month.
Flagging-off the training at a ceremony in Bama town on Monday, the Borno Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, said the phase 1 of the programme was flagged-off on May 6 with 1,946 teachers from 27 LGAs.
“This initiative is part of the Government’s broader commitment to improving the quality of education in the state, as outlined during the inauguration of Local Government Education Secretaries on March, 19th 2024.
“It is strategically pertinent to note that the Government allocated a substantial sum of N1b for the training of 2,730 teachers. These educators will undergo rigorous training at both the College of Education Waka-Biu and Umar Ibn Ibrahim El-kanemi College of Education, Science and Technology, Bama.
“The duration of the programme is three months, covering 1,884 teachers through a sandwich programme and 842 teachers through a full-time NCE programme, ” Kadafur said.
He explained that the programme was not only free but participants are entitled to N30,000 monthly stipend in addition to their regular salaries.
Kadafur urged the participants to make maximum use of the opportunity to ensure that at the end they pass the competency test necessary for the review of their wages.
According to the deputy governor, the Ministry of Education has been directed to release an additional sum of N50,000 to all participants.
In his speech, the Commissioner of Education, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, said Governor Babagana Zulum has taken some decisive measures to address the challenges facing the sector such as authority to the ministry to reassign untrained personnel from LGEAs to alternative roles to free up positions for qualified individuals.
In her speech, the Permanent Secretary, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Hyelni Mshelia, said that currently no fewer than 5,408 teachers who qualified are enjoying the minimum wage.
“We have 3,096 teachers with NCE qualifications, of whom 1,907 are already appropriately placed. Another 1,189 require upgrading and will be placed on GL 07 step 1 immediately.
“We have 1,032-degree holders, of whom 324 are appropriately placed, while 708 teachers with degrees will be upgraded immediately to GL 08 step 1. Seven teachers hold master’s degrees, and only one needs upgrading.
“At this juncture, I would like to emphasize that the training content developed by our partner institutions is holistic and timeless, covering a wide range of topics, including effective teaching, lesson planning, classroom management, audio-visual aids, and numerical and vocabulary skills,” Mshelia added.
In his goodwill message, the Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Umar Kyari El-Kanemi, thanked the Government for choosing Bama for the training and the commitment to restore the lost glory of public schools.
He urged participants to make good use of the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and be more committed in handling their job with more dedication and passion.
In his remarks, the Provost of Umar Ibn El-Kanemi Bama handling the training, Prof. Kalli Tijjani, thanked the government for the choice of the college for the training and assured the institution commitment to deliver.
Tijjani also commended the Zulum administration for its commitment to reviving the glory of education in the state and pledged the support of the institution in that direction.
In their respective good will messages, the Borno State branch Chairman of NLC, Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, and that of NUT, Comrade Garba Zali, who commended the state government for its renewed commitment to teachers welfare through upgrading, training and retraining and urged for sustenance.
