Kaduna to enforce compulsory primary education next month

As a way of driving down the alarming figures of out-of-school children in northern Nigeria, and to boost pupils enrollment in school, Kaduna State government has concluded plans to begin the enforcement of compulsory primary education across its 23 local council areas next month.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Andrew Nok, while speaking at a press conference said the bill to enforce compulsory primary education in the state has been passed into law and would be become effective in September.

Nok, who said government came up with the law in order to ensure that no child was deprived of basic education in the state, pointed out that, “The law provides penalty for parents who refuse to send their children or wards to school.”

Nok added that; “Anybody who is caught giving alms to beggars, or receiving alms, and parents who refuse to send their children to school would be dealt with by the law.”

The commissioner who, explained that the state government would integrate Almajiri children into the modern school system, further disclosed that a total of N2.2b has been spent on the payment of 1, 200 newly recruited teachers in the state.

He said that the delay in payment of salaries was to ensure that all the newly recruited staff passed through proper documentation to guard against the “ghost workers syndrome.’’

He revealed that 15 secondary schools would be reactivated as boarding schools, and equipped with standard facilities across the 23 local council areas of the state.

He also stated that hostels, library, clinic, kitchen facilities, perimeter fence and potable water would be provided to make the schools conducive for teaching and learning.

Among the 15 schools to be reactivated as boarding schools are Queen Amina College, Kaduna; Government Girls Secondary School, Kawo; Government Technical College, Malali, and Barewa College, Zaria.

Others are Government College, Kagoro; Girls Science Secondary School, Giwa; Rimi College, Zaria; Girls Science School, Kwoi; Government Girls’ Secondary School, Soba, Government College, Saminaka, and Government College, Kagoro.