Technical Committee set up by the Yobe State Government to revitalise Basic and Secondary Education has submitted its interim reports to Governor Mai Mala Buni with shocking revelation on the state of education in the state.
Some of the findings by the committee range from poor infrastructure in the primary and secondary schools leading to overcrowding.
Over 180 students sit on the floor, log of woods as improvised seats in the classrooms, it was learnt.
The committee noted that the situation represents 70 percent of gross deficit in the number of functional classrooms in primary and secondary schools in the state.
The Chairman of the Technical Committee and former Vice-Chancellor of University of Maiduguri, Prof. Mala Daura while presenting the report to Buni in Damaturu, noted that the committee visited a total of 1439 primary, junior and senior secondary schools to carry out their baseline survey.
He added that a few schools in hard-to-reach areas in Yunusari, Tarmuwa, Gujba and other places were inaccessible for the survey.
Daura identified inadequacies in the quality of teachers at the basic and secondary school levels, political interference in the recruitment process, promotion, posting and rampant transfers of teachers, as some of the problems confronting education in the state.
The committee said although a supervision and monitoring system existed, it was weak and needed to be strengthened to be more effective.
The committee also disclosed that a there is a general enrollment outlook of 60 percent eligible pupils/students in the state but regrettably about 40 percent of that figure are out-of-school.
The committee also frowned at the unstructured state of the Tsangaya /Quranic Schools in the state which has become a dumping ground for the students both within and from outside the state while emphasizing the need for the regulation of the sector in the state.
To address the identified problems, the committee made five recommendations to wit;
- That government should carry out a man power audit with the aim of screening all teaching staff and identify qualified teachers for recruitment at each level as well as those that training and re-training to build their capacity.
- Government and Stakeholders should immediately undertake an advocacy and sensitization program for parents, community, pupils/students, teachers, private schools operators as well as Ulamas.
- Establish one model science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in each senatorial district of the state.
- The governor to link up with the Presidency on how to tap from the Natural Resources Funds to develop the Basic and Secondary education sector.
- Government to initiate a process of getting in touch and familiarize with the procedures of securing support from all the sources of funding recommended in their report.
Receiving the report, Governor Buni praised members of the committee for working tirelessly within the time frame given to them to perform their task.
The governor promised a full implementation of the recommendations of the committee within the available resources of the state.
