TEACHERS in public primary and secondary schools in Ekiti State yesterday made good their vow to boycott the competence test put up for them by the state government. Instead, the teachers staged a one-day strike.
The test tagged: “Teachers’ Development Needs Assessment (TDNA), according to the government, is meant to test the teachers’ abilities, with a view to discovering how they could be assisted in capacity building wise.
But the teachers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), said the test was meant to victimise and sack some of them.
The test, which has generated ill feelings between the teachers and the state government, was scheduled to follow a training session between 9a.m. and 12 noon.
As at 10 a.m. yesterday some of the 39 designated centres visited in Ado Ekiti, Ikere Ekiti and Iyin-Ekiti were empty; save for some supervisors led by the Area Education Officers of the local councils and security personnel.
Commissioner for Information, Funminiyi Afuye described the boycott as “unfortunate” but stressed that it would not stop the implementation of the policy.
Principal Assistant Secretary-General, NUT Ekiti State, Wale Oyeniyi, said teachers complied with the strike order and that they would resume work today.
