Kogi to Conduct Competency Test for Public School Teachers

Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja

The Kogi State Government has concluded plans to conduct competency test for public school teachers in the state to ensure that only capable hands teach in government-owned schools.

The Director General on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Kingsley Fanwo, who disclosed this while addressing journalists, said the test will be conducted to ascertain the capacity and capability of teachers in public schools.

He stated that the improved performance of Kogi State in public examinations could only be improved upon if competent teachers are given the opportunity and the right training to teach in public schools.

“The state government is already tinkering with the idea of testing the competency of public school teachers to ensure only capable hands are engaged to shape the future of our children. We are already looking at the competency test option to ascertain the competence of our teachers to teach. The future of the Kogi children is the future of the state.

“Those who scale the test will be exposed to the best training and given the best tools, incentives to make Kogi the number one education destination in Nigeria. Government is presently reactivating our structure to inject excellence into the system and make it work for the people of the state,” he said.

Fanwo also said the state had engaged in the remodelling of its schools to provide critical infrastructure in the education system. He said education remains the priority of Governor Yahaya Bello, insisting that there are rapid works going on across the state to change the face of infrastructure in primary and secondary schools.

“The present administration in the state is putting in place GYB Model Primary Schools that are threatening to be the best in the country. In the next few months, the government will succeed in changing the outlook of our schools and make public schools attractive to the people.

“We are also remodelling secondary schools across the state and in a couple of months, the government shall deliver brand new model schools in the state.

“The intention of the government is to make public schools better than private schools and gradually depopulate private schools by bringing back the lost glory of public education in the state.
“The thinking of government is that not everyone can afford the cost of putting their wards in private schools. A government should always protect the interest of the poor.”