Edo State Teachers Kick Against Competency Test

Scores of teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools in Edo on Thursday held a rally to protest against the government’s plan to organise a competency test for all teachers in the state.

The teachers, who stormed Auchi, Etsako-West Local Council of Edo, rejected the call by the government to subject them to any form of test.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the government had fixed Fed. 8 as date for the competency test for all primary and secondary school teachers across the state.

The competency test is coming on the heels of the sack of 836 teachers by the government in 2013, due to falsification of age and certificate forgery, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the teachers, Mr Mike Uhunwangho, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo Chapter, said that teachers would not participate in the competency test.

He said the protest was being carried out across the state, adding that teachers would not be subjected to the test.

“We are unanimously rejecting the call by the Edo State Government to have us write a fresh competency test to determine our suitability for teaching jobs in the state.

“We have directed all the teachers not to attend any form of competency test nor accept any letter from anybody inviting them for the test,’’ he said.

Uhunwangho said that teachers who had spent years in the profession, cannot be subjected by the government to the competency test.

The NUT chairman said that instead of being subjected to the test, the government should embark on training and re-training of teachers, to enable them update their knowledge and skills, for effective teaching.

“Government needs to train teachers and equip them with new skills and ideas, to enable them to be able to perform their duties adequately,’’ he said.