The controversy over the conduct of competency test for teachers in Edo State has taken a new turn as the state government has fixed March 22, 2014 for the test.
Meanwhile, the teachers have warned that it would amount to contempt of court if the test was held, as the matter was already before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Chairman of the Assessment Committee, Professor Dennis Agbonlahor, in a statement, said: “Pursuant to the desire by the government and people of the state to urgently halt the unacceptable state of decay in its education sector, the committee has commenced its assignment by adopting a special approach that would be beneficial to all concerned.
“The committee started by holding interactive sessions with all relevant government stakeholders, Chief Inspectors of Education, CIE, Education Secretaries, Principals and Heads of randomly selected secondary and primary schools and paying on the spot assessment visits to schools in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the education system.”
However, the teachers, through their counsel, Olayiwola Afolabi, in a petition to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State, Mr. Henry Idahagbon, informed that the teachers have a pending suit at the National Industrial Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, and all the court processes had been served on him as the chief law officer of the state, on March 10, 2014.
