Osun employs 4,330 teachers, to pay N400m WAEC fees

The Osun State Government has employed 4,330 teachers to fill existing vacancies in public schools in the state.
The Chairman of the State Basic Education Board, Felix Awofisayo, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
Awofisayo said 2,330 teachers were recruited by SUBEB for Elementary and Middle Schools while another 2,000 were employed for Secondary Schools by the Teacher Establishment and Pension Office of the Governor’s Office.
Awofisayo, who said letters of posting had been issued to the new teachers, warned against rejection of postings to rural areas.
He said Governor Rauf Aregbesola had increased the grants to elementary and middle schools, adding: “All salaries and allowances, including the Teachers Special Allowance, are regularly and promptly paid as directed by the governor.
“The state government is partnering effectively with agencies of the Federal Government to uplift the standard of education in the state.
“The state has paid up its counterpart fund to UBEC up till 2012 and has received its matching grant from UBEC as well up till 2012.”
Awofisayo also said enrolment of pupils in schools had increased because of the provision of free feeding programme (O’ Meals) for elementary school pupils in the state.
He added that government spends N14 million daily to provide the meals and pay for the deworming exercise for pupils.
Meanwhile, the state government on Tuesday said it had budgeted N400 million for the payment of the 2014 West Africa Examinations Council fees of students in the state.
Lawrence Oyeniran, the Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Education, said this in Osogbo during the 2014 Budget defence before the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation.
Oyeniran, who said 32,075 students would benefit, added that they must have 90 per cent class attendance to qualify for the gesture.
He also said the parents or guardians of the students must also have 70 per cent attendance at Parents Teachers Association meetings.
Oyeniran further said that N350 million had been budgeted for bursary award for final year students of higher institutions.
He added that another N100 million had been earmarked for scholarship award for students embarking on Masters degree within or outside the country.
He said: “Bursary would be paid to final year students who are indigenes of Osun schooling in any part of the country.
“Osun indigenes who may also want to pursue courses within or outside the country would be assisted through the scholarship scheme.
“For any student to qualify for the scholarship, he or she must have second class upper division.”