Thousands of job seekers in Ekiti State have been told their fate will depend solely on merit as the state concludes interviews for new primary school teachers.
The Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, Femi Akinwumi, said on Thursday that the board will not lower its standards, adding that competence and proper certification are non-negotiable for anyone hoping to get into public primary schools.
Akinwumi spoke in Ado Ekiti after a four-day screening exercise for shortlisted applicants.
According to him, the process was designed to address teacher shortages, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities across the state.
He explained that the panel, made up of directors, education officers and senior management staff, assessed candidates through oral interviews and micro-teaching sessions.
“Candidates will be selected strictly on merit and based on their relevant qualifications. Only those with the requisite certificates will be considered,” Akinwumi said.
The SUBEB boss said the recruitment is part of efforts by Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration to strengthen the foundation of basic education in Ekiti.
For applicants, he said the message is clear: quality will determine who gets the job.
“The interview was aimed at ensuring that qualified and competent teachers are recruited into the state’s public primary schools. The ongoing exercise was designed to fill existing vacancies and address teacher shortages, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas,” he stated.
Akinwumi stressed that the future of pupils is tied to the quality of teachers at the primary level, and the board will not risk that.
“Once pupils fail at the primary school level, it will affect them at the junior secondary school level and in their future academic pursuits. I can assure you that Ekiti SUBEB will not compromise when it comes to the future of our pupils,” he said.
He commended Governor Oyebanji for approving the recruitment to fill existing vacancies in public primary schools across the state.
Shortlisted candidates are now awaiting the final list, which SUBEB said will be published based strictly on performance during the interview and teaching demonstration.
