The Katsina State Government has announced the suspension of salaries for more than 100 public school teachers found to have absconded from duty.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Zainab Musawa, disclosed this during the pre-inauguration of the Joint Education Sector Coordination Committee, which is tasked with identifying challenges in the sector and recommending solutions.
Musawa revealed that some of the affected teachers had been absent from duty for up to three months yet still expected to receive their salaries. She cited a case where a principal only resumed work days before schools closed for the holiday, after being absent for over a month.
She stressed that none of the absconding teachers would be paid until their cases are reviewed in September, adding that the trend of low teacher attendance was crippling education in the state.
“Some schools with over 75 teachers had only 10 present during unscheduled visits, while another school with about 1,000 teachers had barely 80 in attendance,” Musawa lamented.
She emphasized that teaching quality must be improved and called on teachers to play their part in uplifting education standards.
The Commissioner said the government was working to revamp the sector, with the newly established education committee—comprising stakeholders such as UNICEF and Save the Children International—expected to meet regularly to develop actionable solutions.
UNICEF’s Education Manager, Michael Banda, pledged the agency’s financial support for the committee for one year, while urging inclusive representation to ensure the sector achieves its goals.
Katsina govt stops salaries of over 100 teachers over alleged absenteeism
