From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB) has dismissed 233 teachers for presenting fake certificates to gain employment with the government.
KADSUBEB Chairman, Tijjani Abdullahi, disclosed at a press conference, yesterday.
“The board will follow up the competency test with series of training programmes, organised in batches for teachers. This will begin in January 2022 for 12,254 teachers. The board has signed Memorandum of understandings with National Teachers Institute, College of Education, Gidan Waya, and the Federal College of Education, Zaria, to conduct the training exercise,” he said.
He said the board verified 451 certificates by contacting the institutions that awarded them.
He added that responses from the institutions contacted showed that 233 teachers presented fake certificates, pointing out that one institution disowned 212 of these 233 fake certificates.
“(KADSUBEB) wishes to update you on recent developments in its continuous quest to improve standards in public basic education schools.
“As part of its responsibility to ensure all teachers actually have the qualifications they presented, the board launched a certificate verification exercise in April 2021. The major objective of this exercise was to ensure all our teachers have the requisite credentials that constitute the basic qualifications for employment as teachers.
“So far, the board has verified 451 certificates by contacting the institutions that awarded the certificates. Nine of the 13 institutions contacted have responded, as at today.
“The responses from the institutions show that 233 teachers presented fake certificates. This represents 51 percent of the 451 certificates on which responses have been received from the awarding institutions. One institution disowned 212 of these 233 fake certificates.
“The board will dismiss the 233 teachers who presented these fake certificates, while their files will be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for forgery. The board will continue to check the integrity of the certificates presented by teachers to ensure this critical profession is not devalued by impostors.