Authorities in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna State say more than 20,000 primary school teachers will be dismissed as they failed to pass examination tests meant for their pupils.
This is coming amid apprehension that most primary and secondary schools in Nigeria are churning out half-baked students.
Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai said qualified teachers would be employed to replace the dismissed teachers.
It is unclear when this will happen.
A senior official in the state told the BBC that more tests would also be carried out in the coming weeks for secondary school teachers to determine their suitability.
Analysts say the figures are a terrible reminder of the deplorable state of education in Nigeria, where it is alleged that the hiring of teachers has always been politicised.