THE Jigawa State Government has increased its teaching workforce with the formal presentation of appointment letters to 2,020 newly recruited secondary school teachers as part of efforts to strengthen the education sector in the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that the presentation of the appointment letters to the newly recruited teachers, comprising 1,100 appointed on permanent and pensionable terms and 920 engaged under the J-Teach programme, was held at Government House, Dutse.
Governor Malam Umar Namadi, who presided over the presentation ceremony, said the intervention was aimed at addressing shortages of qualified teachers, particularly in underserved rural communities.
The Governor stated that barely a month ago, the government provided school uniforms, bags and writing materials to thousands of learners across the state to strengthen the learning culture.
He said the recruitment of the teachers represented another stage of the administration’s effort to increase and strengthen the teaching workforce, while creating employment opportunities for qualified young people of Jigawa State.
Governor Namadi explained that the government’s investment in education must go beyond infrastructure and learning materials, pointing out that the importance of having a sufficient number of qualified and motivated teachers in schools cannot be overemphasised.
He assured that the state government would continue to give attention to teacher development, including induction, continuous training and retraining, improved teaching methods and professional development through the Teacher Development Agency.
Malam Umar Namadi further said the latest appointments were part of a broader expansion of the teaching workforce since the beginning of his administration.
He said the J-Teach pathway had brought 7,500 personnel into basic education, with 3,000 subsequently converted to permanent and pensionable appointments after a competitive selection process.
The Governor urged the new appointees to demonstrate professionalism, discipline and commitment in the discharge of their responsibilities, while assuring them that the government would support them with effective induction, mentoring, supervision and fair performance assessment.
Governor Umar Namadi also commended Guaranty Trust Bank for donating 450 bicycles to pupils and students who travel long distances to schools in hard-to-reach rural communities.
He noted that the intervention would help ease the burden of daily travel and improve punctuality and attendance in schools.
