Govt plans teachers' summit over exam failure

Against the backdrop of the continued poor performances of students in core science subjects as well as Mathematics and English language, the federal government yesterday said it has concluded plans to host a national summit on teachers.

Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who disclosed this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital at the opening ceremony of the 60th National Council on Education, NCE, meeting, said the summit is part of the measures at improving the profession.

Shekarau said President Goodluck Jonathan would preside over the summit which would address challenges of teaching and also proffer solutions to them.

'I am pleased to let you know that in the next few weeks, I will be inviting stakeholders to a National Summit on Teachers and with His Excellence, Mr President presiding.

The summit will look at ways of addressing the challenges of ensuring the availability of quality teachers in Nigeria.

The minister also explained that the summit would consider how to explore issues relating to training of teachers, recruitment, incentives and career paths, stressing that incentives that would further attract and re-train the best brains in the profession, would also be treated.

Shekarau explained that the summit had become necessary due to the continued poor performances of students in core science sub- age. jects as well as Mathematics and English language. He expressed optimism that the summit would lay bare the necessary steps to restoring the lost glory of teaching.

'We must begin to do things to attract those teachers that can give the best to the students.

We must put measures in place to ensure teaching is again the destination for the best. It is in having the best that Nigeria is assured of the best products.'

The Minister, however, launched a compiled decision of NCE in the past 13 years which was distributed to all states commissioners for education. He noted that the document would serve as a reference material for stakeholders on implementation of education policies in Nigeria.

Earlier, the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, stressed the pivotal role of education in the rebuilding agenda of his administration which he said are the first and focal point in the Five Cardinal programme of his administration.

'Our belief is that a people who are well educated will not only be easy to govern, but will also be able to conceive personal and communal development ideas.

'In our first year in office, we expended over N2 billion in the provision of all required textbooks, educational materials for 511,083 pupils in our primary schools and 377,373 students in our public secondary schools as part of efforts to improve education in our state.