Teachers’ Recruitment: Rowdiness, unqualified applicants delay exam – Kwara SUBEB boss
… as 10,000 write assessment test
By Adebayo Olodan
The Kwara State Government has explained why teachers’ recruitment examination was delayed for about three hours in some centres across the state.
No fewer than 10,000 candidates reportedly wrote the examination across various centres in the state.
An applicant, who wrote the examination at Bishop Smith Memorial College, Ilorin but pleaded anonymity while speaking with this medium, described the exercise as rigorous, adding that the organisers should have shortlisted only qualified candidates rather than making it open to everyone.
“I believe the planning of the examination could have been done better, especially through short listing of qualified candidates instead of making it an all-comers affair,” she said.
Speaking in a telephone interview with our reporter on Saturday, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Abdulkareem Lambe said that the exercise, which was scheduled to start by 8am could not commence early because there was rowdiness at most of the centres due to the influx of unqualified candidates.
Lambe added that despite earlier notice that the state government’s intention was to employ teachers majorly in sciences and languages, several applicants at various centres had qualification in other disciplines.
“We discovered that the larger percentage of those that turned up were either not qualified or does not even have results to be considered.
“Some of them turned up just because they heard government wants to employ teachers. Due to the large number of people and apprehension among applicants, the entire atmosphere were rowdy, so we had no choice but to screen them based on their qualification. Due to the long process, we ended up starting the examination behind schedule,” he stated.
Reacting to the allegation that some candidates are likely to be favoured over others, Lambe described the allegation as cheap blackmail adding that if the state government had any sinister motive, the recruitment exercise would not have been made public.
“We know where such blackmail could be coming from. How could we have organised the exam if we had any ulterior motive. I discussed the idea of the examination with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for transparency and I am glad he gave it his approval,” he stated.
Among the examination centres were; Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran, Government Secondary School, Bode- Saadu, Lafiagi Secondary School, Lafiagi and Kaiama Unity Secondary School, Kaiama.
In a related development, the state government has fixed tomorrow (Tuesday) as examination date for the recruitment of graduate teachers to be posted to rural areas in the state.
A statement released last Thursday and signed by the Chairman, Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Hon Abdulrasaq Ibrahim, said the applicants must specialise in English Language, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics.
It urged the interested teachers to submit their applications from last Thursday till Sunday adding that examination will take place 2pm at St Anthony Secondary School, Offa Road, GRA, Ilorin.
