Abia State government has raised the number in the ongoing teachers recruitment exercise in the state from 2,500 to 5,000, indicating a 100 percent increase.
It shortlisted 9,371 applicants for computer-base test and made Igbo Language a compulsory subject from primary school up to Senior Secondary 2.
The information commissioner, Okey Kanu stated these while briefing the media on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti in Umuahia, the capital.
Kanu said the increase followed rising number of enrollments into the schools “driven by the government’s newly introduced free and compulsory basic education policy”.
The commissioner further announced that the government had reintroduced the study of History at the basic and secondary education level with immediate effect.
He explained that this became necessary to preserve the state’s rich historical background for future generations as any society focused on progress must prioritise its history
“We believe the state has a rich historical background which we are proud of and we intend to tell our children and succeeding generations our history”, he said.
Contributing, his Basic and Secondary Education counterpart, Goodluck Ubochi said a new curriculum had been introduced for History which would be implemented in the next academic year.
“One good thing is that a state has the right to adjust a curriculum as it suits it. So, we’ve rejiged the curriculum to bring those historical facts of which we are known for into it.
“This would enable a child who goes through secondary education to be able to know the basic history that differentiates and unites Igbos with other citizens of the country,” Ubochi said.
