By Sagir Sadisu Buhari
“An education policy for the present and future leaders to study, consolidate and sustained for the generations to come…..” Education is widely accepted as a major instrument for promoting socio- economic development.
The primary and secondary education is seen as the cutting edge of educational development, the foundation upon which other levels of education are built upon and essential requirement for human and national progress.
Available statistics shows that Nigeria has over 10.5 million out of school children. It is also more alarming to note that 60% of those figures represent the girl-child. Also 8 million of those out of school children are in 10 Northern States.
Regrettably, available figures indicates that over 3 million of these out of school children are in Kano. Sequel to the second term election victory of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as the Executive Governor of Kano State in 2019.
The Administration re- energized it’s effort towards addressing the issue of out of school children with the declaration of the long awaited Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Schools Education, making Kano State the first of it’s kind to declare the policy.
The administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje conducted a Two (2) day Education Summit were participants of over 1000 stakeholders, comprising of Educational Experts, Development Partners, Community Leaders, Academicians and other Stakeholders from within and outside the state were invited in which they deliberated on the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threat (SWOT) and analysis on the development of Free and Compulsory Education Policy and also drawn a road map for the successful implemention of the policy in Kano State.
The Two (2) day Education Summit was blessed by the then Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, Former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, Emirs of Kano, Bichi, Rano, Karaye and Gaya, Development Partners, Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador, Fahad Bin Abdallah Alsefyan, Representatives of Former French Ambassador Jerome Pasquier, British High Commissioner Catriona Lang B.C, Former Egypt Ambassador Sesame Mahmoud, Former U.A.E Ambassador Fahad Obaid Al- Taflaq, Civil Societies, Business Communities, Captain of Industries among other distinguished personalities.
During the Two (2) day Education Summit on Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Education in the State, Papers were presented by Academicians as follows ; (1) Enrolment, Teachers Pupil Ratio Education Scheme in Kano State by Professor Abdulrashid Garba PhD, (2) Tsangaya/ Almajiris System of Education: Challenges and Prospects by Professor Bashir S Galadanci, (3) Community Participation in Education:
The Role of Traditional Rulers, PTA and SBMC by Professor Aisha Abdul Ismail, Department of Political Science/ Center of Gender, Bayero University, Kano, (4) Key Element of the Presentation Provision of Instructional Resource for Effective Resources for Effective Learning by Dr Garba Dahiru Gandu among others.
At the end of the Two (2) day Education Summit, Presenters and Discussants commended the State Government under the able Leadership of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for initiating the policy and providing the enabling environment for the hosting of the summit.
Accordingly, based on all the papers presented, observations and recommendations were made for the Implementation of the Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Education in the State.
The Administration under the leadership of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje took a number of bold steps towards taking education to the Next level in the State, among which is the Integration of the Almajiri Education System into the Modern curriculum, Payment of Upkeep Allowance to Primary, Secondary and Tsangaya Schools for the successful operation of the programme, Recruitment of 1,536 Female teachers, Recruitment of another 4000 teachers to teach English, Mathematics and Computer in Tsangaya/ Islamic Schools across the 44 Local Governments of the State, Establishment of New Junior Secondary Schools and Upgrading of Junior Secondary Schools to Senior Status to ease administration problems and distance, Renovation of Primary and Secondary Schools in the 44 Local Governments , Distribution of Text Books, Instructional Materials and Sporting Facilities, Upgrading of Kano-Borno Orphanage Junior Secondary School at Mariri to a statue of Science Secondary School.
Rehabilitation and renovation of Secondary Schools hostels, classrooms, toilets and construction of new block of classrooms/ toilets across the 44 Local Governments.
In order to ensure maximum access to education by all, the Administration of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje abolished the payment of school fees in all public secondary school with effect from September, 2019.
Accordingly Government commenced the direct funding of such schools numbering 1180 with total students population of 834,366 at a total cost of about 200 million naira per month, about 2.4 Billion Naira per annum, payment of WAEC, NECO and NBAIS fees, School feeding programme in basic school where 350 million Naira was spend every month to incorporate primary 4-6 students across the state.
Launching of BESDA programme and Presentation of Letters of Appointment to Six hundred volunteer teachers posted to Tsangaya Schools to teach Literacy and Numeracy under BESDA and Integration of Qur’anic and Islamic Schools and provision of educational Incentives to about 399 Alarammas who accepted integration and incorporated into the Modern curriculum.
Education is globally accepted as a veritable tool for effective development of any nation and humanity in general. In order to increase access and improve the quality of education and also to actualize the implementation of the policy of Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Education across 44 Local Governments in the State, the Administration under the able leadership of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje Budgeted 41.8 Billon Naira representing 30% of it’s total Budget in 2020.
It also set aside the sum of 37.8 Billion for Education in 2021 representing 25% of the total reviewed budget and not less than 26% of the Total Budget was allocated to Education in 2022 and 2023 Budget’s respectively in order to sustained the Free and Compulsory Education in the State, which has yielded results as evidenced in the year by year increase in enrollment of pupils in Schools across the state.
Kano State is undauntedly the most populous state in Nigeria and therefore, it’s educational system bears enormous pressure of demand for expanding infrastructures and human resources, for education to surmount our quest of providing qualitative education for all, government must take a pro-active measures towards the realization of the policy objectives.
On this note the administration of Former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje must be commended for taking the bull by the horn, by becoming the first state to initiate and implement the policy of Free and Compulsory Basic and Secondary Education.
It is now remain for the present and future leaders in Kano State to study, consolidate and sustained the education policy for the betterment of the present and future generations.
ASagir Sadisu Buhari FCAI, Former Director General: Research and Documentation Directorate, Govt House
