By Khalid Idris Doya
The Ministry of Education in Bauchi has attributed the unprecedented feat recorded in the sector under the dynamic leadership of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to the systemic, infrastructural overhaul, human capital development and other enabling policies, including funding collaborations.
These, according to the ministry, were in addition to the teachers and learners relishing the new dawn of an exciting teaching and learning experience, the administration’s deployment and reward policies and sponsorship of WAEC, NECO, and JAMB registrations for over 14,000 students.
The statement signed by the Ministry’s public relations officer, Mr. Jalaludeen Usman yesterday said that Governor Bala Mohammed has in demonstration to the state’s commitment to global best practices, initiated the adoption of National Girl Child Education Policy, Inclusive Education Policy and Safe School Policy.
The ministry in a statement debunking what it described as ‘Subtle Mischief’ by a social media influencer, popularly known as Dan Bello, said that the feat was widely acknowledged as some of the most innovative incentives that returned hope and dignity for stakeholders and sustainable development for Bauchi state.
The Ministry recalled that Dan Bello in a recent inaccurate viral video of one minute and 30 seconds tendered in Hausa, detailed images of dilapidated school infrastructure from some selected insular locations within the state.
“With over 500, 000 children brought back into the educational system, Bauchi state is a leading light in data-driven effective education planning and management, with a consistent Annual Schools Census (ASC) from 2020 till date to guide the delivery of the strategic roadmap”.
Other practicable initiatives, the PRO further outlined, included National Gender Policy in Education And Child Rights Act, among other policy and legal/institutional frameworks, this putting Bauchi today as one of six selected states receiving support through the System Transformation Grant from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), in furtherance of enhancing educational opportunities in the region.
“The recognition is an acknowledgement of the new dawn in the sector as a focal priority of His Excellency, Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed. It requires equal acknowledgement, support and encouragement of those in search of exemplary conversations to elevate and (or) emulate”, the statement said.
Jalaludeen explained that as a after the Education Summit convened to chart a roadmap for the sector, Governor Bala Mohammed increased the budget allocation to the sector from 12% to 16%, the highest in recent years.
“Mindful of the inadequacy of budgetary allocation in addressing the state of decay and dilapidation, the governor has never looked back or Relented since 2019, with massive renovation and remodeling of about 5,000 various
interventions targeting schools’ infrastructure”.
‘Some of the most recent among these are 784 Junior secondary schools and 219 senior secondary schools across the state, through the World Bank-assisted AGILE project set for takeoff soon. The project equally covers construction of 21 new junior secondary schools and 22 in the senior secondary category”.
“Through secured matching grants, additional 387 one-block classrooms have been renovated. An endless list of new projects has complemented these facelifts across the state.
“Some of them are, the construction of three ECCDE Model Schools in Bauchi, Toro, and Shira, construction of 12 Blocks of 4 high rise classrooms and a number of temporary shades through the BESDA project- Construction of 880 blocks of temporary Shades for IQE and additional 18,000 IQE temporary Shade seats, also through the BESDA Project.”
