Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State says employment into the state teaching service will no longer be automatic, adding that the applicant must show competence beyond paper qualification.

Speaking while addressing a group of Universal Basic Education teachers who were at the Government House in Benin to protest their non absorption into the state teaching service, the Governor stated that nobody is ever going to have automatic employment.

“The governor does not have a guaranteed job, therefore nobody can have one. You must go through proper interview. The system must be convinced that you have what it takes to be a good teacher,” he noted.

Comrade Oshiomhole said the system must go through progressive change to ensure that education is restored to its pride of place, stressing there are teachers who cannot speak English.

He maintained that, “Whatever they were doing before, we have to review it in the light of current experience. We have teachers who cannot speak English. I asked a teacher last week what the working hour was. He did not know. And I asked a pupil, where is your teacher? The teacher said, ‘na me’.”

The governor disclosed that government was going to employ teachers to fill in the existing vacancies, but it must be based on merit and not geographical area.

Comrade Oshiomhole said the government would weed out unproductive teachers from the school system to restore the dignity of education.

The Governor stressed that government could guarantee jobs for all UBE graduates simply because they have passed through teacher training.

He however assured them that government would direct the Universal Basic Education Board to commerce the process of employment of teachers.

“l appreciate that after going through teacher training, you expect that you would be employed, but it would not be automatic “, the governor stressed.