Borno education sector suffer as teachers abandon jobs

Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno has expressed shock at the abandonment of classes by public school teachers in spite of efforts to revive the education sector ravaged by the Boko Haram sect. 

Shettima made the observation when he paid an unscheduled visit to Lamisula Primary and Junior Secondary School located in Maiduguri, the Borno capital. 

The governor,  who observed  that most teachers were absent at the school,  decided to conduct a roll call of  the teaching staff at the end of which only 43 out of the 87 teachers were present. 

Shettima expressed sadness over the development, promising to take action against those found absent. 

“It is sad to note that more than 40 per cent of the teachers were absent. 

"Those absent will face punishment to serve as deterrent to other teachers and workers, ” he said. 

Shettima, who  went round the classrooms and interacted with the  pupils,  also  expressed dismay at the conditions of some classrooms as  pupils were made to sit on the bare floor in spite of the availability of furniture in government stores. 

The governor ordered the state mechanical workshop to supply enough furniture to the school to address the problem. 

“It is really disturbing that in the heart of Maiduguri, our children are sitting on the floor to learn in spite of thousands of school desks we have distributed. 

“We have desks here that are bad and kept in one class;  no one brought this to my attention and children who are desirous of learning are now seating on the floor, “he said. 

The governor spent about an hour at the school, visiting each of the 17 classrooms at the Primary and Junior Secondary sections. He also interacted with no fewer than 1,000 pupils and gave each a gift  before his departure.