By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the recruitment of 3,252 verified Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) teachers into Federal Unity Colleges, in a move he said will ease the longstanding teacher shortage in the schools.
Dr. Alausa said priority would go to absorbing verified PTA teachers, many of whom have served in Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges for almost 25 years, giving them a route into the mainstream public service.
The 3,252 teachers, drawn from the cadres of Education Officers, Assistant Education Officers and Technical Instructors, were cleared through a verification exercise conducted by an Inter-Ministerial Committee across the colleges.
Their regularisation will proceed once all statutory requirements are completed.
The minister said the recruitment, which is part of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is expected to improve the teacher-student ratio in the colleges and retain experienced staff who have continued teaching despite years of uncertain status. He said the Ministry would work with relevant agencies to finalize the remaining processes needed for formal approval, in line with public service regulations.
The Minister pledged that the regularisation process would be handled transparently and fairly, and said the government remained focused on ensuring every child in Federal Unity Colleges is taught by qualified and motivated teachers.
