Worried about falling standard of education in Katsina State at primary and secondary school levels, the state government has said it had begun moves to address the issue. Speaking to newsmen, the state's Head of Service, Muh'd Lawal disclosed that the state had of recent recorded massive failure in final-year examinations among secondary school students. He said recent findings revealed that of the 380, 000 students that wrote their final- year examinations last year, less than 5,000 had five credits.
He expressed worries that education standard was falling in some primary schools due to lack of qualified teachers. To address the issue, the head of service said two committees were set up, namely the committee on development of education; and committee on improvement of standard of education.
He said the first committee recently presented its report to government after looking at the performance of students in SSCE, NECO and other examinations. Lawal said government decided to follow the recommendations and asked all commissioners, permanent secretaries and other government officials to go to their various council areas, assess all primary and secondary schools and present report to government.
He said the second committee is to seek and obtain proposals to assess the competence of primary and secondary school teachers. The committee, he added, was to liaise with a consulting body at the Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to look at teaching and curriculum of the Isa Kaita College of Education, Dutsinma and School of General and Remedial Studies, Daura.
He said the consulting body would help advertise for 1,000 teaching positions to meet dearth of teachers in special subjects, while teacher training colleges are to be established in each of the three senatorial zones.
