The Bauchi State Government has announced a significant initiative to revitalize six boarding schools that were previously de-boarded due to low enrollment.
This commitment was revealed by the State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Jamila Muhammad Dahiru, during an inspection visit to the schools located in Dambam Local Government Area on Sunday.
Dr. Dahiru explained that the directive from Bauchi State Governor, Sen. Bala Mohammed, emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to identify and rehabilitate the selected schools. The goal is to renovate and construct necessary facilities to create a conducive learning environment for students.
“This visit is primarily to assess preparedness based on Governor Bala Mohammed’s approval for the re-boarding of about six schools,” she stated. The revitalization efforts will be funded through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank-assisted project managed by the Federal Ministry of Education, aimed at enhancing secondary education opportunities across the nation.
The Commissioner highlighted the importance of community involvement in this initiative, stating, “We can say that it has been a successful visit because at each school we visited, we engaged with the community.” She acknowledged that the conditions of the schools had contributed to their de-boarding status in the past, but expressed optimism for the future. “The governor has approved their rehabilitation and renovation through the AGILE fund,” she added.
Dr. Dahiru noted that many of the schools already possess facilities that can be transformed and efficiently utilized for the re-boarding process. She recalled that low enrollment rates had previously led to the de-boarding of these institutions, but emphasized the positive shift in community attitudes. “You can see from the community’s enthusiasm that they have learned from their experiences and realize they were lagging behind,” she remarked.
The Commissioner further emphasized the communities’ commitment to increasing student enrollment. “Now you can see how willing they are to mobilize and sensitize their communities to enroll their children. They even wrote to the Ministry requesting this assistance,” she explained. To boost enrollment numbers, she assured that the Ministry of Education would assign students to these schools beyond their immediate communities.
In a show of appreciation, Mr. Iliya Isa, the Deputy Chairman of Dambam LGA, expressed gratitude to Governor Bala Mohammed and Dr. Dahiru for addressing the needs of the community. He pledged to mobilize community members for an enrollment drive, underscoring the collaborative effort required to ensure the success of the initiative.
The six schools identified for revitalization include Government Secondary School, Dagauda (Dambam LGA), Government Secondary School, Futuk (Alkaleri LGA), Government Day Secondary School, Kirfi (Kirfi LGA), Government Secondary School, Sade (Darazo LGA), Government Secondary School, Udubo (Gamawa LGA), and Government Secondary School, Madara (Katagum LGA).
With this initiative, the Bauchi State Government aims to not only reinstate these schools as vital educational institutions but also to foster a renewed sense of responsibility and community engagement in enhancing the quality of education in the region.