Stakeholders decry poor state of public schools in Kano

Worried by the deplorable condition of public primary and secondary schools in Kano State, concerned stakeholders have advocated possible solution to restore lost value.

Speaking at a roundtable panel in Kano, the stakeholders advanced issues around out-of-school children, Almajiri education system, poor infrastructure and environment for teaching and learning in public schools in state.

The call for better management of public education system came at the unveiling of a new project anchored by Education Strategic Investment and Development Initiative (ESIDI), in collaboration with Kano State government and supported by CYNOX technologies, to transform teaching and learning.

One of the panelists and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Trust newspapers, Naziru Mikailu, advocated genuine reform in public education to revitalise the system.

Mikailu, who believes the concept of almajiri system of teaching and learning remains a viable methodology, canvassed its merger with modern science education and entrepreneurship.

On his part, a senior lecturer with Kano College of Education and Remedial Studies, Dr. Kabiru Sufi, called for urgent attention on poor infrastructure and congestion in public schools.

Sufi, who queried the competence and quality of teachers in public primary and secondary schools, urged government to conduct credibility test for teachers.

A civil society activist, Ibrahim Waiya, suggested adoption of local dialect as official language for teaching and learning of science and engineering courses in public schools.

Waiya, who explained that such methodology would enhance quality and effective learning, argued that most developed countries relied solely on their local content, rather than borrowed language.

While unveiling the new project, the Director, CYNOX Limited, Abdulrahman Yabo, disclosed that the strategic education reform would focus on improving pupils’ enrolment, building teachers competence and creating job opportunities for youths.

He said the US$500m investment project with 70 per cent fund raised from partners and international donors and 30 per cent counterpart funds from Kano State government would run for five years.

The state Commissioner for Education, Mohammad Sanusi Kiru, expressed government’s commitment to partnership with ESIDI, the project implementation component, to actualise the objective.