The World Bank has invested the sum of N30m in UBE Primary School in Rigasa, a suburb of Kaduna State, in order to improve the school’s teaching and learning facilities. The school, which has over 22,000 pupils, have 70 teachers.
Receiving the representatives of the World Bank in Kaduna, led by Dr Olatunde Adekola, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai said that about 21,780 teachers of the 33,000 teachers who wrote the competency test, administered by the State Government, failed.
“We tested 33,000 Primary School Teachers, we gave them primary four examination and required they must get at least 75% but I am sad to announce that 66% of them failed to get the requirements”.
The Governor mentioned that urban Schools in the State faced the challenge of teacher-pupil ratio, adding that there is concentration of teachers that are not needed in some Schools.
He said that the current enrollment ratio of schools in the state is 51 boys to 49 girls.
“The hiring of Teachers in the past was politicised and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified Primary School Teachers to restore the dignity of Education in the State”.
“In some Local Government Areas, it is a teacher-pupil ratio of 1-9 while in some places it is 1-100”.
Dr Adekola on his part said that the high number of pupils in the school has increased the pressure on teaching and learning facilities in the school hence the investment.
He added that the investment was for the immediate upgrade of facilities in the school.