Buhari Backs El-Rufai’s Sack of 22, 000 Teachers, Signals Nationwide Implementation

President Muhammadu Buhari has thrown his weight behind Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s decision to sack 22, 000 primary school teachers who failed a competency test administered to them.

The President in a statement on his official Twitter handle on Monday, announced the opening of a Special Retreat of the Federal Executive Council on the challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector.

Mr Buhari asked the delegation to come up with workable solutions to the many problems of the education sector.

The delegation constitutes Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, ministers, government officials, academic experts, civil society and other key stakeholders.

Mr Buhari said the step taken by governor El-rufai was vital in implementing reforms in the education sector, hinting on the need for a nationwide execution.

I just opened a Special Retreat of the Federal Executive Council on the challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector. We’ve brought together Government officials, academic experts, civil society and development institutions for this all-important conversation.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) November 13, 2017

I touched on the situation in Kaduna, where Gov @elrufai is trying to implement important reforms. It’s a very serious situation when teachers cannot pass the exams they’re supposed to administer to their students. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive national reform.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) November 13, 2017

Governor El-rufai had in a bid to upgrade the quality of primary school teachers in his state, administered a test calculated to measure proficiency and basic skills.

The questions according to the state government were originally meant for Primary Four pupils in the state’s public schools.

Of the 33,000 primary school teachers that participated, close to 22,000, that is, 66 per cent, failed to obtain 75 per cent in the test.

The governor then announced that the state will sack the 22,000 teachers that failed the test and recruit 25,000 new teachers to replace them.

Despite complaint and criticism, the governor insisted that “no amount of protests will deter the government from recruiting qualified teachers, while giving disengaged teachers the entitlements specified in their terms of service.”