In a significant move, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has announced a state of emergency in the education sector. The decision, declared during a ceremony at Government House Kano, aims to address the alarming rise in the number of out-of-school children, currently estimated at 989,234.
Governor Yusuf underscored the pressing need to revitalize education quality and infrastructure. This extraordinary measure enables prompt and decisive action to confront the sector’s critical challenges. It necessitates a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including government bodies, educators, parents, the private sector, and the community, to prioritize the rejuvenation of the education system.
Expressing grave concern over the escalating out-of-school children crisis, Governor Yusuf emphasized its dire implications for the future generation’s education rights and prospects. He lamented the deplorable state of schools, characterized by dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate facilities, and an unsuitable learning environment. Furthermore, the scarcity of instructional materials exacerbates the situation, leaving both teachers and students grappling with outdated resources.
Governor Yusuf revealed that over 4.7 million pupils endure learning on bare floors, while approximately 400 schools struggle with a single teacher managing all subjects for all students. Despite these formidable challenges, the administration has initiated school rehabilitation efforts and provisioned essential materials to enhance service delivery.
As part of the emergency response, Governor Yusuf sanctioned the recruitment of 10,000 additional teachers and pledged continuous training and retraining to ensure their effectiveness. Additionally, plans are underway to hire 1,000 academic and non-academic staff for tertiary institutions. The administration has also subsidized registration fees for Kano indigenes studying in various tertiary institutions nationwide and allocated a substantial sum of over 300 million as soft loans for teachers to boost morale.
Highlighting further support, Commissioner for Education Alhaji Umar Doguwa disclosed the governor’s approval for covering NECO and NBAIS examination fees for over 118,000 secondary school students from Kano.
