Sokoto State Government has commenced the construction of about 160 new primary and secondary schools across the state.
The Special Adviser to Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, disclosed in Sokoto on Monday.
Imam spoke at the opening a one-day Training of Field Officers for Pilot Survey on Schools’ Needs Assessment under the State of Emergency on Education programme in the state.
He stated that the schools under construction included 100 new primary schools, 45 new senior secondary schools and 15 new junior secondary schools.
According to Imam, “If there is any sector that should be turned around, it should be the education sector. And this does not only lie with the teachers, but with us as citizens.”
Speaking on the contribution the media could make towards the success of the state of emergency declared in the education sector in Sokoto, the governor’s aide noted that all stakeholders implementing the policy should involve sector for success to be achieved.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Technical Committee on the State of Emergency in Education in the state, Prof. Riskuwa Shehu, commended the state government for initiating the policy.
Shehu, who is the immediate past vice chancellor of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, also lamented that over sixty per cent of teachers in the Basic and Secondary Schools sector were not qualified.
He also said that more than half of the structures in those schools across the state had become dilapidated.
“The declaration of the emergency would, therefore, help drastically in redressing the ugly trend. The survey is targeted at collating a comprehensive needs assessment report on each of the 2,264 primary, junior and senior secondary schools in the state.”
The Commissioner, Basic and Secondary Schools, Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, stated that the survey would come up with empirical evidence-based data on the schools.
This, Kilgori further noted, would provide for effective planning to revamp the state’s education sector.
The Leader, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Garba Bello, who is also the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Education, pledged the legislature’s support to ensure the success of the exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the State Universal Education Board, Alhaji Faruku Shehu, expressed delight that the declaration of the state of emergency in education was already making huge positive impact.
”The emergency has started addressing some of the most formidable problems hitherto plaguing the education sector,” Shehu added.
In his remarks, Dr. Shadi Sabeh, Chairman, Schools Specific Needs and Assessment, said that the pilot survey would be conducted by 75 enumerators and supervisors in 40 model schools within the next four days.
He also added that the social media platform would be used to track supervisors and enumerators in order to ensure the collection of accurate data of the schools’ needs.
