The Kano State, Governor Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje has commenced the disbursement of N148 million upkeep grant to 1,400 public Secondary schools, to further enhance the free education and Almajiri integration policy of the state.
Other items distributed includes textbooks, tablet computers among others.
Consistent funding
Governor Ganduje said the free and compulsory education policy introduced by the state can only be sustained through consistent funding.
He was speaking at the flagged off of the disbursement held at the Coronation Hall, Government house, Kano as part of activities making the state’s Education day .
“We are providing cheques to schools for daily maintenance… We are providing Tablet computers to Education Officers across the 44 LGAs for data generation, analysis management and transferred of data such as enrollment, discipline among others to the headquarters without physical appearance. ”
“Outside Koranic recitation and Western education, the Almajiris are being thought various Skills so that they can also fend for themselves after graduation,” Governor Ganduje stated.
Kano State has since 2019 introduced Free and compulsory education from primary to senior secondary school levels as well as integration of the Almajiri system into mordern educational system.
He said to sustain funding of the policy and other education programmes, the state has not defaulted in the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, counterpart funding under the Nigerian government.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring consistent and prompt payments to the state.
“Kano State is up to date down to 2021 in the payment for counterpart funding.. The excess we paid in 2020 is even being rolled over to 2021 and we thank President Buhari for always ensuring that funds are released to us in time,” Governor Ganduje said.
According to him, other sources of funding of the policy are; resources from the Educational Trust Fund, 5% of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, 1% of LGA funds and Community participation were individuals are voluntarily donating to the basket of the policy.
He said the all teachers in the state have been upgraded to NCE through various trainings.
” We are happy to have entered into partnership with Media Trust, the publishers of Daily Trust Newspapers for the publication of TEEN TRUST, a publication for the Children…It is an innovation to educate our children especially in the northern part,” he added.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Sanusi Kiru said part of the distribution includes 543,360.000 English, Mathematics and basic textbooks to 840 schools, 60 to each of the 14 zones.
“Also the distribution of 10,000 copies of Teen Trust weekly papers to all secondary Schools across the state,” Dr Kiru explained.
According to him, the state government has among other successes recorded, achieved the establishment of 300 capacity Computer Base Test (CBT) centre at Murtala Muhammad Library.
Dr Kiru explained that the government has already secured the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) accreditation for the CBT examination, therefore ready for this year’s examination.
The Kano State UBEC Chairman Dr. Danladi Hayyo said the policy made it possible for over 3.5 million children to be enrolled into schools, making Kano highest State in Nigeria that is taking out of school children to class.
Mr. Molud, the UNICEF Representative at the occasion called for a Legislation to back the programme and sustained financing.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
