By ENEH AWODI/FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

The Federal Government has announced plans to recruit 3,500 teaching staff across Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

Dr Yusuf Sununu, Minister of State for Education, made this announcement at a two-day National Stakeholders’ Forum on Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event brought together education stakeholders to discuss challenges facing secondary education in the country.

The forum is themed, “Revitalising Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria for Global Competitiveness”.

Sununu stated that the recruitment of these teachers would significantly improve the quality of education.

“I assure you that the Ministry is collaborating with the Office of the Head of Service, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and other relevant government organs to recruit 3,500 teaching staff for our federal government colleges nationwide.

“This will enhance the quality of education. Additionally, the Ministry has organised extensive training and retraining for all staff in schools.”

Sununu also mentioned that the ministry had trained more than 1,000 staff in technology application in education through its research resource centre.

He said more than 53 vocational skills acquisition centres had been built to cater to the skills needs of young people, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

He added that approval had been secured to build an additional 50 model schools across the country to enhance teaching and learning.

“The ability to revitalise the Senior Secondary Education sub-sector to meet global demands requires key actions that optimise the system.

“Today marks a significant step in our journey to enhance the quality of education for our young learners.

“Senior Secondary Education is a critical phase, shaping the future of our learners and, by extension, our nation.

“This explains our efforts in ensuring that our education system is robust, dynamic, and capable of meeting global standards,” he said.

On his part, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, called for a complete overhaul of the senior secondary curriculum to meet global competitiveness.

Abbas, represented by Rep. Mark Usani, Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education and Services, highlighted the challenges facing senior secondary education, including lack of qualified teachers, funding, and inadequate infrastructure.

Dr Iyela Ajayi, Executive Secretary, National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), emphasised the need for stakeholders to take ownership of the national policy on senior secondary education and its implementation guidelines.

“The federal government alone cannot succeed in repositioning senior secondary education.

“We must mobilise all relevant stakeholders, including state governments, NGOs, development partners, educationalists, and those concerned about education.

“We need to bring them together to brainstorm, identify problems, and provide solutions.”

The event featured the launch of critical documents, including the National Policy on Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria, its Implementation Guidelines 2024, and the NSSEC Strategic Plan (NSSECSP) 2024-2027.

Other documents launched included the Manual for Monitoring and Evaluation of Senior Secondary Education in Nigeria 2024 and Training Manuals for Teachers of English Language and Mathematics in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria. (NAN)

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