Principals To Sit Exams Before Appointment- Supervising Minister Of Education Nyesom Wike

Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, says principals of secondary schools will henceforth be required to sit examinations before they are appointed to head the schools.

Wike stated this in Abuja at a preparatory meeting for assessment examinations for principals of Federal Technical Schools.

According to him, this is to ensure that competence is not sacrificed on the altar of qualification and grade levels.

Under the new arrangement, Director and Deputy-Directors at the Federal Ministry of Education, who were automatically made principals of schools based on their qualifications, would now be required to write a test.

Speaking to newsmen after the meeting, Wike said the move would not only ensure competence but also improve productivity of the principals.

The minister said, "This idea of sitting in the office and making Directors and Deputy-Directors school principals may not be the best. For you to be a principal there are basic qualities you must have and a sense of competence.

"Those who are already principals must also be subjected to sitting that examination. If we don't do that, how do we then know if the person who is already a principal is more suitable for the job than the person sitting the exam to be a principal?"