Ekiti: Why Teachers Are Afraid Of Test

 

The face-off between the Ekiti State government and teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state started over two months ago, when the commissioner for education, science and technology, Dr. Eniola Ajayi, at press briefing revealed that the state executive council had considered and approved the conduct of Teachers’ development Needs Assessment (TDNA) for teachers in the state.
Mrs. Ajayi had explained that the policy was borne out of the government’s plan to develop and strengthen learning outcomes of students in public schools across the state. She also said that the TDNA would assist in upgrading the standard of education in the state and enhance capacity building of teachers in public schools.
But when journalists contacted leadership of both Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in the state on the development they said in one voice that they would prefer to write promotion examinations but not competence test as proposed by the state government.
They said that similar examination had been conducted for some top cadre of the local government service commission and principals of public secondary schools last year, and that the result was that some of them were forcefully retired, while others got demoted.
While reacting to the development, the chairman ASUSS, Mr. Sola Adigun that said his members are ready to accept any government policies that would better the lots the teachers.
He, however, maintained that the competence test is not the best option to test the capacity of the teachers in the state. Adigun added that his members were ready to write examination in the course of seeking for promotion in the service, but not the one that would cause disaffection between them and the government.
The principal assistant secretary general, the state chapter of the NUT, Chief Wale Oyeniyi, also told journalists in Ado Ekiti that his members would not honour the competence test. Oyeniyi was of the view that the government could use promotion as veritable avenue to test the competence of any teacher rather than embarking on a special examination that could fuel crisis in the state.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had stated that the TDNA was not a calculated plan to lay off teachers in the service of the state but designed to enhance the teachers’ capacity, performance and to improve their teaching skills.
The governor who gave the assurance while speaking in Ado Ekiti at the 2012 Children’s Day celebration, said the assessment which was earlier slated for May 28, would be shifted to June 4, to enable the teachers have more time to prepare for the test and also to correct the various misgivings about the TDNA.
“It is pertinent to say, however that while many have misconstrued government’s intention in the TDNA, we are convinced that it will better the lots of both the teachers and those being taught”, Governor Fayemi said.
“In addressing some of the agitations surrounding the TDNA, we have decided to shift the date of the assessment by a week. It is our belief that the various misgivings about the TDNA would have given way for a better understanding and appreciation of the assessment.”
The commissioner for information and civic orientation, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, also in a statement said, “The TDNA is a continuing education policy aimed at equipping teachers for better performance and service delivery in the state-owned schools.
“It is a phase of a wide range of programmes already conceived by the administration to develop the capacity of workers and make them give their best in the discharge of their duties”.
He added that contrary to the insinuations being peddled by the opposition, the TDNA is not aimed at humiliating, punishing, demoting, sacking or retrenching teachers. Having announced the postponement of the examination, Governor Fayemi while featuring on a live programme in a state owned media days before the examination day, followed it up with a declaration that teachers who fail to write the examinations would face the consequences of disobeying their employer.
This declaration by the governor prompted emergency meetings of the teachers’ union where it was agreed that the strike option was the next like of action. The decision of the teachers also laid to rest series of meetings they have been having with the state House of Assembly and various relevant institutions on the need to put an end to the dispute.
Just a day to the conduct of the test, the state chapter of the NUT declared a strike beginning from Monday, the day they were to write the TDNA test.
The teachers, in a communiqué made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, said the decision was arrived at after a congress of the NUT members. While announcing the commencement of the strike, the principal assistant secretary-general of the NUT overseeing the secretariat of the union in Ekiti State, Chief Oyeniyi, told newsmen that “the teachers have declared an industrial dispute and there is no going back on our decision against the TDNA of the state government.
They also maintained that if the government was sincere in knowing the needs of the teachers and those of the schools, questionnaire could be designed to get the necessary information while they teachers could also be trained in various ways to strengthen their teaching skills. The NUT and the ASUSS, have jointly stated that they were ready for promotion exams but not one which they said they do not know where it will lead them. Chief Oyeniyi said: “Bring promotion examinations and we will do it. But this TDNA is beyond our understanding and we do not know why government insists that we must take it. If they want to build our capacity, they should train us or send us to workshops and seminars.”
The state government in its reaction to the strike embarked upon by the public secondary and primary school teachers in the state said it was not aware of such development.
It also said that over 16,000 teachers were expected to write the test, aimed at enhancing their capacity and to improve students’ performance in the state. A statement by the chief press secretary to the Governor, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, also reassured the teachers that the assessment was not designed to sack anyone.The assessment which was to hold in 39 designated centres across the 16 local government areas in the state is neither a ‘promotion examination’, nor aimed at sacking teachers who perform poorly.
“The assessment is geared towards enhancing the capacity of the teachers and improving students’ performance. It will also help in designing trainings for the teachers in the bid to improve the standard of education in the state.”
“Adequate security arrangements have been made for those willing to participate in the assessment in all the designated centres, while other logistics have been put in place to ensure a hitch free exercise”, the statement added. “As far as the government is concerned, the assessment would hold. There is no strike, no industrial action was declared and no notice (usually 14 days notice) was given.”
The examination, which was slated for the June 4, could not hold as teachers across the state refused to show up at designated centres for the test. There were conflicting reports which LEADERSHIP learnt were alleged to be responsible for the teachers’ boycott of the proposed assessment.
Others said, the non-appearances of these teachers at these centres confirmed the high level of success of the NUT’s directive, despite the various threats from the State Government.
When journalists visited some designated centres for the examination in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, Ikere and other local government closer to the state Supervisors, Area education officers and pockets of security operative were seen waiting for the arrival of the teachers. Investigation by newsmen revealed that the teachers saw the examination as an attempt to sack some of their members; this must have spurred the ASUSS and NUT to instruct their members to stay away from all the centers.
Teachers on June 5, resumed work a day after the strike declared by the NUT to prevent its members from writing the examination prescribed for them by Governor Kayode Fayemi-led Administration. They however said that strike of that nature will be declared whenever they were asked to come and write such an examination.
Reacting to the development, the chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe praised teachers in the state for not writing the test fashioned by the state government disengaging them from service. Ogundipe stated that the teachers in the state did not need TDNA otherwise as competency test but continual professional development programme which will enhance their teaching skills at individual area of specializations and capacity building workshop and training.
He called on the state governor to accept the defeat he suffered from the teachers and leave the teachers alone and give them necessary support in the following areas: reduction in the high taxes placed on the teachers, housing and car loans, promotion as at when due, payment of teachers arrears and training and seminars.
Speaking on the botched assessment, chairman, Ekiti State House of Assembly committee on information, Mrs. Omowumi Ogunlola asked the teachers to obey the state government and subject themselves to be test. The lawmaker said the assembly had since mediated in the matter by meeting with both government and teachers’ representatives with a view to reaching an amicable resolution.