Determined to reduce the growing rate of out-of-school children in the country, the Federal government has unveiled a newly constructed Bilingual Education Boarding School at Kiru township, Kiru local government area of Kano state.

The project funded by the Islamic Development Bank under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) 30 Bilingual Model School is being constructed across nine states, including Kano, Kaduna, Kwara, Nassarawa, Gombe, Niger, Osun, Borno and Adamawa.

Inaugurating the multi-million naira education investment on Tuesday, Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, said the initiative is part of practical investment in human capital development, social inclusion and regional stability.

The minister disclosed that bilingual education plays a critical role in strengthening the foundation, improving communication, preserving cultural identity and enhancing global competitiveness.

According to Professor Ahmad, the establishment of the Bilingual model school across the nine states aligns with government’s education transformation agenda under the Renew Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises access, equity, knowledge, skills development and strategic planning for basic education.

“One of the key things with bilingual schools is allowing students to gain religious and Islamic knowledge and at the same time not depriving of the wisdom. It ensures that the nation is actively and overall towards the development of knowledge, not by neglecting the interest of its communities.

“By improving language with proficiency in more than one language, we are empowering them to communicate effectively, access wider knowledge resources and participate confidently in our communities and connections.

“So, as a bilingual facility, this will also provide a safe, structured and supportive learning environment that not only gives room for learning, but also promotes the security, high standard of learning and continuity of learning”. The minister said.

On her part, Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Dr. Aisha Garba, explained that the Bilingual schools are designed to teach students in both English and Arabic.

Dr. Garba added that the focus was to provide a modern education that includes not just basic reading and writing but also practical skills through Technical and Vocational Education.

She urged Kano state government and community leaders to take critical ownership of the facility to ensure sustainability of the project.

Speaking on behalf of the state government, Secretary to the State Government, Alh. Umar Faruq Ibrahim applauded the Federal government and Islamic Development Bank intervention targeted at addressing out-of-school children in Kano.

The SSG reminded that the facility will further complement Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf-led administration’s declaration of emergency on education sector. He said Kano State government has supplied over 2,000 textbooks, covering core and non-core subjects, to help children gain access to quality education.

“We have also raised a very big budget to create a new infrastructure to support our classrooms and to create a more inclusive environment. This includes the construction of 1,740 new classrooms and the location of 5,800 existing ones across the state. We have also built a new library,” SSG added.