It may sound bitter but true, Bauchi state is still maintaining it position among the states having a high number of out – of – school children in Nigeria. Though, mapping is currently taking place but According to UNESCO as at second quarter of 2023 Bauchi had the figures amounting to 1,239,759 children that are school aged but out of school children.
Education in Bauchi state is in lamentable failure, miserable atrocity, loathsome and deplorable situation, and if care is not taken, the whole system will soon collapse and the position of the state’s education will nowhere to be found. Take my words to the bank.
Ofcourse, as an altruistic son of the soil, I might not be visibly here for my sojourn elsewhere, but my mind is in Bauchi, I have all it takes to contribute my quota toward the development and advancement of my state. I need no gratitude for doing such, likewise nobody would hates me for writing such.
Most of my previous articles that centred on Bauchi state were either on critics or commends basis, as such this one will be entirely different because of it neutrality in nature. I will criticise and still commend the state gov’t, and also indeed advice the state government on the need to holistically and vigorously demonstrate more commitment on revamping education sector in the state.
EDUCATION SECTOR IN THE STATE IS IN DIRE NEED OF INTERVENTION!
Whenever the stakeholders of Bauchi state gov’t start making submission on education sector, the main and only thing they are flaunting is that over 5,000 classrooms have been built or renovated. But i think it’s better to bring that to their attention that building classrooms is an aged long misnomer, education is far beyond building or renovating classrooms, it’s far beyond that, remember we are in 21st century, in the era of an instance where some developed climes are having their degrees from their bedrooms, even though infrastructure is among the main basis on revamping education, but that wouldn’t dissuade the course for touching other important necessities of the sector in question.
The most flabbergasted part of it was that the last time i checked, the Bauchi state government offered massive recruitment of teachers in both primary and secondary schools was sometimes in 2014 when Dr. Malam Isah Yuguda was in power. Since then, yet no any open house recruitment have been made except those made based on favouritism and cherry picked based on who you know, having thrashing away the competent one’s. The sector is being inflicted by shortage of workforce but no such recruitment has been made again despite hundred cases of retirements, changes of cadres and deaths.
It may sound bitter but true, Bauchi state is still maintaining it position among the states having a high number of out – of – school children in Nigeria. Though, mapping is currently taking place but According to UNESCO as at second quarter of 2023 Bauchi had the figures amounting to 1,239,759 children that are school aged but out of school children.
Currently, there are conflicting figures as to what the number actually stands, but the last figure quoted by UNICEF is about 1.2 million. It’s rarely unfortunate that out of school phenomenon has become national embarrassment to us in Bauchi, hence the need to be address by the gov’t in order to move headway. Out of school children, incessant vandalisation of schools, poverty among other pressing issues have continue to push the number up.
So also, the quality of learning in basic and secondary education in the state has been adjudged low as the World Bank recently disclosed that Nigeria is experiencing learning poverty as over 70% of children between 10 years cannot understand or perform basic numeracy tasks out of which Bauchi state stands an ugly figures of many children between the age of 10 can’t even fluently write their names, talkless of reading and writing apart from jargons. All this animosities are making our heart to ach seeing that it’s a shameful front, and that fundamental issues should suppose to always give us a sleepless night.
All these debilitating figures aren’t unconnected to government’s failure to recruit competent teachers, inability to provide enough instructional materials talkless of it non – chalant attitude on payment of staff salaries and allowances. This weird and mind-boggling development has thrown thousands of Bauchi kids out of school, and sadly others to street begging which in furtherance compose them to be criminal culpable of undermining peace processes in the state by constituting social menace.
Come to think of it, a whole primary school having only one teacher, a school with the population of about 350 pupils? Almost all primary schools in the state’s rural areas are facing similar problems. Pupils are having classes under the shed of trees with no chairs. Not just primary schools, but even our secondary schools aren’t safe from this terrible situation. The report being as right as it’s that there are over 207 schools in the state without a single teacher which is representing approximately about 6.30% of the total number of public schools managed by both state and LEAs.
Recently, newspapers reported how the lack of teachers and infrastructure forced the closure of many primary schools and turned pupils into farmers in Alkaleri LGA, the governor’s own local government area. Still, it was reported that multiple public primary schools, especially in the semi-urban and rural areas of the state are either run by volunteer teachers hired by the community development committee or by public-spirited individuals in their quest to attract parents and children who are shunning school.
Surprisingly, the authorities are fully aware of that ugly situation. There was a time when one SUBEB director of state, told journalists that there were 79 primary schools in Misau local government area and each school had a single one teacher. The governor himself had once condemned the system while expressing his dissatisfaction with the bad condition of the Dumi School. He stated that he was unhappy with SUBEB and the state’s ministry of education. So, if the governor himself condemn the system yet nothing has been done to fix it, then, the future of our kids is at rarely stake.
But to be fair to gov’t, sometimes the dilapidated condition of the schools must be attributed to the activities of vandals and the negligence of the host communities, but sure thing gov’t negligence contributes to nearly 70% of the problems. It is undeniable that unscrupulous elements are just by the way of hand carting away school belongings having government agents as the masterminds.
Baring the degree of deterioration in that most important sector, UNESCO recommended that 26% of government’s budget to be the threshold for the education sector. However, Bauchi is yet to meet this requirement as the allocation and performance of budget on education sector is not encouraging at all. The allocation on education sector is still far below the expectations, due to high level of decay and the current state of the sector today. Bauchi state cannot make any headway with the current education budget when compared with other states.
In spite of the miniative investments in the sector by gov’t, the new in charge at the helm is now restless while confronting the inherited decay but not much has been achieve to determined changing the inherited scenario, efforts on the task of renovating and reconstruction are apt, but gov’t should vow to reinvigorate the education sector and restore the fading glory of the teaching profession by organizing timely intensive training and retraining of teachers in order to achieve optimum result on improving the plan for effective school management and accountability.
The sector is perverted into delusion of inadequacy, thousands of issues are at brazenly stake currently. It’s mindful to note that education is not about building or renovation of classrooms, do check on UN global educational standardization, teachers are the first line items insofar as we need to revamp the sector, teachers welfare, training and retraining, prompt payment of salaries and allowances are the first line items follow by teaching and learning stuffs.
Bauchi is battling the scourge of acute shortage of qualified teachers in schools, i sourced and find out that the existing teaching force in the state is figuratively about 14,510 (both female and male teachers), among them 9,104 are qualified male teachers and 5,406 are female teachers, making the total of 14,510 certified educators. It’s even brutal to say that only 14,510 teachers would train and teach over 3 million children in the state? In which Banana republic does that ever happen? The shortage of teachers in the state remains significant issue whether we like it or not.
Statistics also revealed that the state is still battling with myriad of challenges in the condition of infrastructure, but we should commend the gov’t here that out of 14,499 total number of classrooms, 13,067 are aptly usable, only 1,432 are in bad condition pointing to infrastructural concerns.
Basking under the euphoria of what they presumed was a successful scheme by organizing series of tea table discussion in the name of so-called education summit, the government is still indicating its ineptitude to revive the sector. 2022 International literacy report ranked Bauchi 8th as poor literacy state and yet not much effort has been employ to mitigate such shameful front.
Therefore, education in Bauchi state is on the serious verge of collapse as the No’s are many. As such, I’m calling on the present administration of Governor Bala Muhammad Abdulkadir to as a matter of urgent public importance, employ sufficient teachers, build enough classes as well as renovate the abandoned ones. Notwithstanding, paying teacher’s salaries on time, and promoting those who supposed to be promoted would indeed help in revitalising the education sector in the state, if not, the whole system will soon collapse and the position of the state education sector will be nowhere to be found.
Certainly, we must commend the gov’t for it achievements recorded on the sector like conversion of boarding schools to merit schools, zero – hunger policy in boarding schools, prudent management of resources that cut expenditures sometimes by up to 75%, debt – free ministry of education and schools, ban on bullying in boarding schools, reclaiming of public schools from private users, and landmark achievement of effort to transfer college of Agriculture to BASUG, provision of boarding materials like mattresses, bunks etc to some schools, improve boarding facilities, water and electricity in some boarding schools, improve teachers attendance through thumbprints, above all reduction of school charges to N700 for senior secondary schools, N300 for Juniors and N50 for primary per annum to ensure access to school. It is indeed commendable.
Way Forward ;
To correct the erroneous impression, let us narrow our garment and cut our coats according to our material available, We shouldn’t be subservient to copy from some state by wasting humongous amounts of money on something else while leaving the essentials unattended. Some elements of naivety in our thoughts is telling us that we would have a negative imagine on those kind of underdevelopment.
The tyrannical vocal of majority citizens have expressed their disgustion and inexcusable insular on continuous collapse in education sector. Thus, what is uppermost in this psyche is that no effort would be spared to rid the state of undesirable elements in education sector of the state.
Among other things on improving education sector includes,
• Empowering local education authorities (LEAs) ; There is an ardent need to empower, reginger and include LEAs in the delivery of basic education. By working closely with these authorities and ensure that resources are allocated to them effectively, improve infrastructure and education should be accessible to all children regardless to their socioeconomic backgrounds.
Let gov’t establish strong collaboration between Federal, State and Local tiers of gov’t to maximize the impact of the said effort. LEAs should play a significant role in school supervision and quality assurance because they are more closer to the grassroot. They should be empower and employ with qualitative and resource staffs, channel funds in order to supervise school plans, curriculum delivery and learning outcomes.
• Revitalizing teachers training and welfare ; It’s well known fact that teachers are the backbone of our educational system, thus gov’t must be honest to invest reasonable resources on their professional development and improve their welfare. The recruitment process should reflects the quality of teachers needed, there is need for best hands in basic education. Gov’t must create opportunities for continuous training and professional growth, enabling teachers to develop high quality education.
• Additionally, an improve welfare system including fair compensation and support services like housing, transportation system and decent teaching spaces will boost their morale and commitment to shaping the future of our children through education.