UBEC: Recruitment of unqualified teachers leading to poor learning

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, has said the recruitment of unqualified teachers by some state governments was responsible for the poor learning outcome in Nigeria’s basic education.

He listed other factors to include lack of regular professional training programmes for teachers, low remuneration, among others.

Bobboyi made the disclosure while declaring open a one-day workshop for Council for Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), the inspectors for monitoring of UBEC/SUBEBS Matching Grant intervention projects in 36 states and FCT, in Abuja on Wednesday.

While expressing worry over the poor learning outcomes despite huge intervention by the Federal Government, he noted that even though the figures being bandied were not scientific, the Commission was working with UNICEF to have a large scale assessment of learning achievements in the country, ascertain the problems to improve on the learning outcomes.

“There is need to invest more on teachers that will teach children at the basic level of education, especially public schools across the country. There is no justification for all the investment if the child in the classroom is not learning,” he added.

On collaboration with COREN, Bobboyi, said one of the key elements that could encourage learning was good environment, hence the need for the partnership with the Council to ensure that infrastructure built in public schools across the country were of standard quality.

On his part, the Registrar of COREN, Prof. Adisa Bello, said the Council would monitor construction work, renovation, furniture, equipment, works and water supply projects and report appropriately to UBEC management, saying this falls within Engineering Regulation Monitoring (ERM) mandate of the Council.

According to him, the monitoring exercise was to ensure protection of lives and property, safety and value for money for sustainable national infrastructure development in Nigeria.

He, however, warned the inspectors against deviation from the norm saying: “Any of our inspectors that is found wanting in the course of his or her duty, will be adequate sanctioned.”

Also speaking at the event, the President of Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Tas’u Gidari Wudil, noted that infrastructures in schools were key to delivery of education, adding that the Council has discovered that most of the projects were badly done with minimal supervision.

The Star

Segun Ojo