Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Kassim Mohammed-Kassim, has directed the immediate redeployment of 1,300 administrative staff to classrooms to address the shortage of teachers in the state.

The NSUBEB chairman gave the directive on Wednesday in Lafia during a meeting with education secretaries of the 13 local government areas and 18 development areas of the state.

He said that 3,422 staff could not work in offices in the LGA, while there was a shortage of teachers to teach in the classrooms.

Mr Mohammed-Kassim further promised to tackle the lopsided deployment of teachers to urban schools at the expense of schools in rural communities.

He said that Governor Abdullahi Sule approved the recruitment of 4,800 qualified teachers to primary schools in the state.

The SUBEB boss emphasised that the teachers to be recruited would be posted to schools in rural areas to address the deficit in those areas.

He stated, “Those applying for teaching jobs should be prepared to go to the rural areas because none of them will be posted to urban areas. My agenda is to revive rural schools and make it attractive for parents to send their children.’’

Mr Mohammed-Kassim also expressed shock that furniture provided by the government for primary school pupils to sit comfortably was diverted by some education secretaries and headmasters and sold to private schools.

“Our pupils cannot be sitting on the floor in classrooms while the furniture provided by the government is diverted to private schools and private homes. I visited most schools and seen with my own eyes students sitting on the floor. However, records before me showed furniture was supplied to such schools in the past. That will not be allowed under my watch,” he said.

The SUBEB chairman noted that the board would partner with security agencies to investigate the issue, recover the furniture and punish the perpetrators.

He further warned the education secretaries against illegal deductions from their teachers’ salaries except on disciplinary grounds, with the consent of the board.

He also directed them not to allocate any school land to small business ventures except with the permission of the board, as some people had started claiming school lands on that basis.

He promised to create a maintenance unit in each local government to protect and safeguard SUBEB property.  

(NAN)