A total of 441 First-Class graduates from different fields of study are expected to sit for the ongoing computer-based test in Oyo State, the state Teaching Service Commission has said.
The state Chairman of TESCOM, Pastor Akinade Alamu, made the disclosure on Tuesday during the inspection of the CBT test centre at the University of Ibadan.
The exercise, billed to run till Saturday, attracted applicants from all the zones of the state.
According to him, the interest of the First Class candidates in teaching service portends significant turnaround for the education sector in the state.
He said, “We are happy to have the best applicants, especially the First-Class graduates taking part in this exercise. The government of Oyo State is desirous of lifting education to a higher level so that we will have as much as the best among our applicants.
“We want to bring back the pride attached to teaching in the past; it is the best profession and if we have the best hands joining, it is a good omen.
“The scores at the interview level will place applicants higher. We have a mark for NCE, we have different mark for graduates and there is a higher mark for First-Class. This shows that the whole thing will be based on merit.
“The present government is concerned with the upliftment of education in the state. This is why we decided that before we appoint anybody as teacher, such a person must be qualified, competent and ready to work in line with the passion of the governor for education. I believe this will raise the standard of education in the state and will catapult the performance rating of our state to the first three.”
He said the distribution of compendium of past questions of subjects, the intervention classes and the distribution of books among others were indicative of a state that always planned.
The state Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers, Adedoyin Samson, said the CBT test was the first of its kind, as it depicted love for probity and professionalism in public service.
He said, “The system would allow for the recruitment of the best among the candidates against the allotment of candidates to political office holders that used to be.”
