Alhaji Baba Maidala, Executive Chairman, Yobe Teaching Service Board, on Thursday said over 2,800 secondary school teachers in the state were promoted to the next grade levels from January 2020 to February 2021.
Maidala told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu that the promotion would enhance the teachers’ productivity.
He said that no fewer than 200 new teachers were recently recruited by the state government, bringing the total number of the board’s workforce to over 5,000.
The chairman said that the new teachers were currently undergoing documentation at the board and would soon be deployed to secondary schools across the 17 local government areas of the state.
Maidala said that all professional teachers in the state were on Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) and had benefitted from the 27.5 per cent increase in their monthly salaries.
He, however, said non-professional teachers who possessed degrees were sent on in-service training, noting that over 300 teachers were enjoying the training with full monthly salaries.
The chairman said that West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) ratings of Yobe had significantly improved since his first tenure that began in 2015.
“When I became the chairman in 2015, Yobe was rated 4.08 per cent by WAEC in terms of the number of candidates who scored at least five credits in Mathematics, English and three other subjects.
“The sweeping reforms we introduced enhanced the teachers’ performances, putting the current WAEC and NECO ratings of the state at 35 per cent and 65 percent respectively.
“The reforms include prompt promotion of teachers, intensive supervision, appointment of principals on merit and introduction of best teacher and principal awards.
“Teachers are no longer stagnated as it was in the past and we have successfully stopped the subterranean influence in appointment of principals, who in some cases, were not even members of the board,’’ Maidala said.
According to him, the results started coming when our students came first in 2017 JETs competition in Lagos and third in Innovation Expo organised by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in 2018.
“Recently, Yobe also came third in Quiz and Debate Competition by the Presidency. All these happened during my tenure,” he said. (NAN)
