The Borno State Government recently announced the recruitment of 4,000 teachers, with 3,000 designated for primary schools and 1,000 for post-primary schools. However, an analysis conducted by CASFOD revealed that the published list of teachers only included 3,968 individuals, consisting of 2,968 primary school teachers and 1,000 post-primary school teachers.
During the last 12 years of insurgent activities in Borno State, numerous schools experienced teacher shortages due to factors such as displacement, casualties, and a decline in interest. To address this challenge and ensure quality education for the increasing number of children returning to schools, various education initiatives in the state enlisted volunteer teachers.
Advocacy initiatives have been undertaken to promote gender-responsive education, with a particular focus on increasing the recruitment of female teachers, especially at the Local Government Areas (LGAs). The current recruitment efforts have resulted in the observation that slightly less than 51% of the teachers hired are female. CASFOD’s analysis, conducted across the LGAs, indicates that there has been a conscientious effort to ensure equitable representation of female teachers in the recruitment process.
In the post-primary education, which encompasses junior secondary and senior secondary schools, the recruitment efforts have been less gender-balanced, with only 48% of the teachers being female. A closer analysis of this figure reveals that the inclusion of matrons and cooks among the female staff has contributed to this percentage, thereby limiting the number of female teachers available to teach specialized subjects like mathematics and sciences.
Our Recommendations
- The Borno State Government should create incentives aimed at retaining the female teachers recruited at the LGAs thereby preventing their relocation to the state capital or other urban areas.
- The State Government should intensify efforts in recruiting additional female teachers specializing in mathematics and sciences. This initiative is essential to facilitate the advancement of girls’ participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
