Kano State Government in North West Nigeria, has called on parents especially the mothers, to support the initiative of free Primary and Secondary Education in state by sending their children to schools.
The Commissioner of Education, Umar Doguwa made the call at a Town Hall stakeholders meeting with Women on the significance of Girls Education as a key impetus for accelerated Socio-Economic Development of the state.
The Commissioner, who underscored the importance of Education said, government will not tolerate lack of school attendance by children and will blame and take action against any parent who fails the responsibility.
Doguwa said the government will not tolerate absenteeism, lateness and children roaming the streets during school hours.
“The way we take measures on teachers who come to school late, so we will take measures on children who come to school late.
“Parents must realize they have a responsibility to send their children (both male and female) to school.”
He said the Ministry of Education in collaboration with it’s counterpart of Women Affairs, Children and People With Disabilities are working together to promote education in the state.
Doguwa noted that, “the present Government has taken education serious by improving the budgetary allocation to 29.7% and providing buses for conveying students.
“When we came on board, we met education sector in a pathetic situation, we have 5.3 million students in the state, we met about 4.5m students sitting on the floor without chairs, without teaching materials.
“The previous administration shut down 28 boarding schools. We have over 32,000 students in those schools, after the closure, we now have about 9,000 students in boarding schools. Most of them are now in day schools.
“So if the government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf allocated 29.7 per cent of budget on education, promise to pay salary on time, repair about 70 high capacity vehicles to transport the children to school, we monitor the conduct of the teachers, what about children who don’t go to school and the role of the parents?”
Doguwa, while encouraging mothers to ensure close monitoring of children’s performance in schools informed them of government’s plans to provide more teaching and learning materials to schools in Kano state.
Speaking on the significance of Girls Child education for Socio-Economic Development, Secretary, High Level Women Association, Hajiya Ladidi Fagge and Dr. Raliya Maijama’a from Bayero University Kano, appealed to the women folk to rise up to complement the government efforts by sending their children to schools.
They said, “an educated woman is an asset to herself and the society and can contribute immensely to nation building.”
They solicited for support of the parents especially women to compliment the efforts of the government by ensuring their children go to school and attain their full potentials in life.
