From Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
About 200 primary school teachers who were rated high in their teaching ability were hugely rewarded on Friday by Governor Abdulahi Uumar Ganduje who presented to them a cheque of N100, 000 each.
Ganduje who also distributed N150 million worth of instructional materials to primary schools across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state, said the gesture was part of his efforts to ensure that hisn administration’s policy of free, compulsory basic and secondary education succeeds.
Ganduje who spoke during the distribution of instructional materials/furniture to basic education schools for better service delivery on free and compulsory basic education in the state in an elaborate occasion held at the premises of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Ganduje, vowed to ensure that every child in Kano receive basic education free-of-charge.
According to him, “there is no doubt that in Kano, free, compulsory basic and secondary education policy has become a reality. This policy is based on our conviction that education is a must and very necessary to the development of Kano state.
“We have taken statistics of the number of out-of-school children in the state. We have taken statistics of the number our children in conventional schools. We have taken statistics of the number of our children on Qu’ranic schools. We have also taken statistics of the number of our children who are not attending school at all.
“We have also taken the data of the number of Almajarai in the state. We have concluded plans to send them to boarding schools where they will be provided with uniforms and other learning materials.”
Ganduje further stated that with the training and re-training of primary school teachers, Kano now boast of over 98 per cent of qualified teachers in the primary schools.
He added that, “We have introduced school feeding programme; and we have put measures in place to ensure that the school feeding programme does not fail at all.
“We are providing furniture to our schools. We have embarked on furnishing our schools across the 44 Local Government Areas. We have commenced distribution of millions of text books, pencils, rulers, sharpeners, attendance registers, admission registers, and so many other instructional materials.
“Our policy on free, compulsory basic and secondary education will continue. We have promised never to fail our children. We must ensure that our children are educated just like their peers in other parts of the country.”
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi Saidu commended Ganduje for his interest in the education sector.
He also cautioned teachers to remain up-and-doing, warning that, “we will not tolerate laxity, absenteeism and lateness to work. We have set up a monitoring team to monitor the activities of teachers and anybody found wanting will be severely sanctioned.”
In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Danlami Hayyo said Ganduje has tremendously transformed the primary and basic education sector in the state for the better.
According to him, “you may recall that since the inception of this government for the second term, one of its major priority is the provision of free, compulsory basic and secondary education in the state.
To actualize this policy today, we are witnessing the commitment of this government towards achieving the said objectives.”
