As parents are struggling to raise money to pay the recently hiked fees in Unity Schools, the nation may be in another shocker over the recent posting of school in principals that is causing tremors in the system.
But this potential threats could be addressed by Dr. Yusuf T Sununu the newly appointed Minister of State, for Education before schools resume in September 2023.
A Circular issued by Mr. David K. Gende, Director, Human Resource Management of the Ministry of Education marked ADF.170/S.5/55 and dated 14th August,2023 is already causing discontent amongst the 110 Federal Unity Schools in the country.
The Circular titled:” Approved Deployment of Principals that have Completed six(6) years tenure & some Director (sic) in FEQAS state offices to Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) directed some school principals who are Senior Director benefiting from former President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy that teachers could now retire at the age of 65 or 40years in service should now go to the classrooms to teach under their junior officers is absurd to say the least. This cannot be the intention of the law makers when the law was being proposed.
Specifically, Mr. Gende’s directive to some of the affected school Principals is that they should go and serve under their juniors this is already causing tension within the educational sector.
Investigations revealed that Mr. Gende’s Circular came out two and a half months after he ought to have proceeded on pre-retirement leave as he is due to retire from the service on 1st of September 2023.
Civil servants are expected to proceed on pre – retirement leave three months to the date of retirement.
Sources within the Ministry of Education claimed that money must have played a role in the posting of the new Principals they want to bring him as replacement of the old ones. Though there is no confirmation on whose account the monies were paid to and who got what.
Incidentally, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. David Andrew Adejoh is also billed to bow out of service in November, this year.
Those grounded in Ministry of Education matters argued that some of the Principals affected by the extension of service year as approved by former President Buhari should have been posted to the Federal Evaluation Quality Assurance Service (FEQAS)where they will operate as evaluators with their wealth of experience instead of sending them to the classrooms to teach.
They argued that sending them to the classrooms will not bring the best out of them as they would be serving under their juniors while the school Principals too may find rather clumsy directing their seniors.
Contacted, Director,Press and PR Department in the ministry ,Mr. Ben Bem Goong said the decision to post Principals who are 60years old to classrooms to teach was a government policy and “the postings are in line with government regulation”.
Speaking on the non observance of the pre – retirement leave policy by both the Director Human Resource Management and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Goong said :”Pre – retirement leave is not compulsory. It is optional. In any case, your boss can recall you from leave “.
Mr. Goong ruled out any inducement in the posting of Principals to Unity Schools stressing that ” it is expected of people who lose out.”
