From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Director General of the Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency (BEQA), Dr.Terna Francis, has described as absolutely unethical and unacceptable, the practice of using secondary school leavers as teachers in some private schools in the state.
The BEQA DG stated this while reacting to revelations from his routine monitoring exercise that unearthed the illegalities.
Dr. Francis who expressed worries when he discovered in one of the schools he visited, that there were five secondary school leavers, teaching students at various levels, including physics as a subject, to SS3 learners, said it will not be accepted.
He stated that the minimum teaching qualification in Nigeria was the Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE) warning that henceforth, any school found with such illegalities would be sanctioned.
He asked the management of schools found with such illegalities to replace the school leavers with qualified teaching staff immediately or face stiff sanctions.
The DG also discovered during the monitoring exercise that, many private schools were yet to secure establishment approvals, and urged them to get the requisite approvals, as well as those yet to apply for re-certification, to do so.
The DG’s monitoring team visited Divine Hope Academy, Adeke, Makurdi, PAABIKSS International School, New City, Makurdi, Gina Metropolitan Schools, New City, Makurdi, RCM Primary School, Tionsha, UBE Junior Secondary School, Naka road, Makurdi.