From Beatrice GONDYI, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has flagged off the distribution of instructional materials to almajiri schools otherwise known as ‘Tsangaya Schools’ and girl child learning centres in the state.
Executive Chairman of the Board Dr Abubakar Dahiru Bauchi who flagged off the distribution at Gudum Hausawa village of Bauchi local government of the state explained that the project was supported by the world bank and federal government under the Better Education Service Delivery (BESDA).
He said the project is aimed at supporting out of schools children including the almajiris and girls who hawk on the streets to access basic modern education like other citizens.
The SUBEB chairman noted that under the program, the almajiris and girls who hawk would be taught the basic subjects such as English, arithmetics etc in their mother tongue.
According to him, over 73,000 children are being targeted in the state for enrollment into the program adding that government has recruited 3,000 teachers to teach them the basics.
Abubakar clarified that the pupils under the scheme would be taught modern subjects on two days of the week only in the centres so that their qur’anic studies and businesses would not be disrupted.
“it is a World Bank and Federal Government of Nigeria programme aimed at mopping in out of school children in 17 states of the Federation.
“Bauchi is one of the states that have over 1.3 million out of School Children, with the support of Governor Bala Mohammed, we have reached advanced stages as part of our effort to reduce the number of out of school children in the state. This year our target focusses on tsangaya pupils and girl child”. He said.
He said the board has carried out community engagement exercises through sensitization programmes and visitations to Emirs, Tsangaya Schools, identification of tsangaya schools and Biodata capture of male and female children to benefit from the gesture.
“Today we flagged off the distribution of learning materials and about 2, 000 teachers will be engaged to train the pupils.
“In sha Allah under the programme benefitted centres will be assisted with customized and non-customized mats.
Boreholes and toilets will be constructed in some of the centres while feeding will be provided to all the centres gradually,” he promised.
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