Nasarawa Teachers Commission Begins Biometric Data Capture
The Nasarawa State Teachers Service Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a conducive working environment for teachers to enable them to provide quality education to students in public schools across the state.
The Executive Chairman of the Commission, Ambassador Timothy Kasuwa, stated this during the ongoing biometric data capture of teachers at the Area Education Quality Evaluation Office in Keffi.
The statewide biometric data capture exercise by the Nasarawa State Teachers Service Commission followed the recent approval granted by Governor Abdullahi Sule for the exercise to commence across the state.
Speaking during the exercise in Keffi, Ambassador Timothy Kasuwa explained that the screening was designed to ascertain the actual number of post-primary school teachers working in the state.
He said obtaining accurate biometric records would enable the Commission to plan appropriately for teachers’ welfare and develop interventions, including training and capacity-building programmes aimed at updating their skills and improving teaching and learning experiences in public schools.
The Executive Chairman clarified that the exercise was not a recruitment programme but a verification and data-capture process intended to provide the Commission with an accurate database of teachers serving in the state’s public post-primary schools.
He added that the exercise would also enable the Commission to identify subjects where there were shortages of qualified teachers, thereby providing useful information for making appropriate recommendations to the state government on how to address the identified gaps.
Ambassador Kasuwa commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for what he described as his passion for quality teachers and education in Nasarawa State.
He urged teachers to reciprocate the administration’s efforts by demonstrating greater dedication, discipline and commitment to their duties, stressing that the Commission would not tolerate complacency in the discharge of professional responsibilities.
Some of the teachers who participated in the exercise, including Salome Kaigama and Shehu Uba, expressed satisfaction with the transparent and orderly manner in which the biometric data capture was conducted.
They said they were optimistic that the exercise would contribute significantly to identifying and addressing some of the challenges confronting teachers in the state.
The biometric exercise is being conducted across all 13 Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State and is expected to conclude in Kokona.
The Commission further warned that any teacher who fails to appear within the designated period for the biometric data capture would be required to report to the Commission’s headquarters in Lafia during the stipulated grace period.
Teachers who fail to take advantage of both the exercise and the grace period risk being classified as ghost workers, according to the Commission.
