Optimism as Yobe moves to boost education

Yobe State is among the states in the country with the largest out-of-school children. The Nigeria Education Data Survey, 2020 showed that the state recorded 57 per cent out-of-school children in 2020. Only Kebbi State with 59 per cent had more out-of-school students in 2020 according to the survey launched by the National Population Commission […]

Yobe State is among the states in the country with the largest out-of-school children. The Nigeria Education Data Survey, 2020 showed that the state recorded 57 per cent out-of-school children in 2020.

Only Kebbi State with 59 per cent had more out-of-school students in 2020 according to the survey launched by the National Population Commission in 2020.

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While the number of out-of-school children in the states remains a major concern, students in schools are not spared from attacks by insurgents. Schools are targets of terrorists in the state. Leah Sharibu, a teenage schoolgirl was among 110 students forcefully taken from their school, Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi by Boko Haram terrorists.

While students have died in various attacks on educational institutions in the country, Sharibu still remains in captivity and billions of naira are required to reconstruct facilities that were left in ruins by the insurgents.

Among the schools that were attacked and facilities totally destroyed are GSS Damaturu, GSS Mamudo, GSTC Potiskum, GGSTC Dapchi, BEST Center Gaidam, BEST Center Goniri, GJSS Kanamma, GSTC Gujba, and FGC Buni-Yadi.

Others are Central Primary School Buni-Yadi, Shuwari Primary School Buni-Yadi and several other primary schools across Gujba Local Government Area.

The insurgents, during the attacks, set classrooms, dormitories, libraries, laboratories and other facilities on fire. The situation created a problem as multibillion naira facilities are razed leaving the government with the Herculean task of reconstruction at a huge cost in the face of dwindling resources.

Despite the best effort of the former governor of Yobe State, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam who constructed new schools, rehabilitated dilapidated ones, provided infrastructural materials to enhance teachers’ effectiveness and efficiency, implemented sustained free tuition, and recruited new teachers especially in rural areas, there is still a gap in the education sector in the state.

Senator Gaidam, who was named Governor of the Year 2018 in Education by African Education Monitor magazine, still supports the education system as a senator.

There are other well-spirited Nigerians that are bothered by the disturbing state of education in the state and aligned with the strategy of the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, who, on assuming office in 2019, declared a state of emergency in the education sector. The governor matched his words with actions by providing some basic supplies and ensuring reasonable class sizes for teachers and students alike.

Since assuming office, he has built new schools, especially in the highly populated parts of the state, including Damaturu, Buni-Yadi, Potiskum, Gashu’a, Nguru, and Geidam towns.

These are commendable efforts. But they are nowhere near enough to address the education challenges that have festered in the state.

The State’s Deputy Governor, Idi Barde Gubana, said the education sector in the state suffered a lot of destruction with 167 students and three teachers killed while 86 students were injured during a decade-long insurgency affecting the state.

He said the situation had caused congestion in most public schools especially those in the urban areas with students ranging from 100 to 300 per class. This is the situation with pupils of Mai Abali Primary School, Potiskum. The school has over 14, 000 students clustered in a few classrooms with 59 teachers. This shows that there are 237 students to a teacher.

A low student to teacher ratio enhances efficiency. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) while emphasising the importance of student-teacher ratio, said only qualified teachers should be considered when considering to reduce the number of teachers at Mai Abali Primary School, Potiskum.

“Qualified teachers play a key role in ensuring the quality of education, provided the pupil/qualified teacher ratio is considered an important determinant of learning outcomes and an indicator of the overall quality of an education system,” a report by UNESCO said.

The pupils in Mai Abali Primary School, like other children across the state, have big ambitions of becoming successful entrepreneurs and fulfilled professionals when they grow up, but that dream could be shattered if the education system is left to the meagre resources available to the state government.

This is why the Yobe State Government decided to launch an Education Appeal Fund to join hands with the people of the state and Yobe’s friends across the country to address the appalling situation in Yobe schools and give the state’s education sector the new lease of life that it so desperately needs.

The proceeds of the fundraising would be channelled to the Education Trust Fund set up by Governor Mai Mala Buni.

The Education Trust Fund is a six-man committee that serves as the board of trustees. The board will receive, execute and account for all donations, ensuring that the fund is used to revive the education sector in the state.

Engr. Muhammad Ali Kachalla Abubakar is the chairman of the board, while Mohammed Bukar, Malam Sule Dauda, Alh. Ballama Manu and Prof. Maimuna Waziri are members with Prof. Mamman Yusuf Yusufari, SAN, as secretary.

However, the success of the Education Trust Fund in addressing the decay in the state’s education sector partly depends on the accomplishment of the Yobe State Education Appeal Fund Raising Committee.

The fund-raising organising committee is chaired by Mr Idi Barde Gubana and is charged with the responsibility of appealing to Nigerians to support the plan of the state governor in reviving education and addressing critical areas which included quality of manpower, infrastructural provision, returning children especially girl-children to school and ensuring they complete their basic education.

The event will be held today at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel Abuja. The chairman of the occasion is Ambassador Babajana Kingibe while the chief launcher is Alhaji Dahiru Mangal.

Mr Gubana said, “due to scarcity of resources and ever-growing commitment to put the state on the most appropriate track of speedy and sustainable development, well blended with our material endowment, we, therefore, resolved that more funds should be sourced to achieve our objectives.”

He said the appeal became necessary so that the government can focus on increasing access and equity in basic and secondary education through the establishment of more schools, especially for girl-child and people with disabilities, renovation of existing structures and construction of more classrooms and other school buildings.

Mr Gubana said the state has the plans but lacks the required funds to adequately actualise its goals. He said the plans include “recruitment, training and retraining and improved welfare package for teachers. Enhanced monitoring and evaluation mechanism through adequate funding, provision and maintenance of operational vehicles and training of quality assurance officers, provision of adequate teaching and learning materials, improved feeding and promotion of extracurricular activities among others.”

Expected at the appeal fundraising event is Senate President Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan who is the co-host. The chief launcher is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Mangal Group of Companies, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal.

All state governors are the host joined by Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, Senator Ibrahim Bomoi, Engr Abubakar D. Aliyu, Malam Adamu Adamu, Muhammad Musa Bello, Adamu Maina Waziri and Kashim Ibrahim Imam.

The Emir of Fika/Chairman Yobe State Council of Traditional Ruler, Muhammad Abali Ibn Muhammad Idrissa, is the Royal Father of the Day.

The funding-raising efforts have also been championed by the local governments and other dignitaries as demonstrated by the N100 million funding raising event organised by Potiskum Local Government Area.

The programme attracted the Minister of Power, Engr Abubakar D. Aliyu, who mobilised financial support worth N40 million before donating N3 million. Previous donations have been commended by Governor Mai Mala Buni who said, “it is heart-warming that the good people of the state share our vision and mission to change the face of education in the state.

“These contributions would no doubt complement government efforts in addressing the problems of education in the state.”

The state government expects that today’s event will provide the much-desired drive, along with contributions already received, in accomplishing and repositioning the state’s education sector for the benefit of future generations.