Anambra Records Massive Female Turnout For Teachers’ Job

The Anambra State Uni
versal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), last Wednesday. recorded massive turnout of women for recruitment as teachers.
Permanent Member II and former Acting Chairman of the board, Mr Chike Otikpa, who made this known in Oyi, Anambra state, on Wednesday.
He said he monitored the interview sessions for the recruitment of teachers in Anambra North Senatorial District.
“I also monitored the examination centre at Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum Local Governments. Male turnout was dismal.‘As usual, while the men were not forthcoming; there was massive turnout by women.In some of the recruitment centres, while women recorded 90 per cent turnout, the men recorded just 10 per cent turnout’’ he said.
Otikpa expressed worry over the dominance of female teachers in the state’s basic education sector.
“The issue is of concern to the authorities. The situation poses serious concern to education authorities in the state. Urgent measures are needed to address it. In the areas that I covered, the turnout was mostly women; it will appear that the men are no longer satisfied with what they get out of teaching. Onitsha Market, being very near, has not helped the situation, as the men easily resort to trading which is more gainful, financially’’, he added.
He said male apathy to teaching in the state had continued to plague the system as discipline among pupils had been deeply eroded.
“It is still our problem in this state; the men are not satisfied with their take-home pay, and the few you see are only managing with teaching, while looking for better opportunities elsewhere. That is why we are clamouring for improvement of the conditions of service for teachers in the state. When you have best brains as teachers in the system, then you can produce best brains as pupils”Otikpa said .
Others, he said, included granting of housing and car loans to attract male teachers back to the profession.
He said teachers in the basic education sector in the state earn better salaries than their counterparts in the state civil service with 27.5 per cent allowance emphasizing that male teachers were needed in the system especially in the area of sports and to help instill discipline among pupils.