Kano state government has established an education trust fund and promotion committee to further strengthen the educational system.
The executive chairman,policy strategy implementation and evaluation directorate, government house Kano, Alhaji Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi, said during a one-day public policy dialogue on Education and contemporary security challenges in Nigeria, organized by PERL-ECP, in kano.
Alhaji Rabi’u Sulaiman also the chairman of the public dialogue explained that one per cent of the profit from contracts were dedicated to the education trust fund (ETF) to provide learning materials.
According to him, members of the education promotion committee (EPC) are saddled with the responsibilities of sourcing for intervention on education from philanthropists and wealthy individuals.
He said,the policy strategy and implementation directorate had created a data base that collates records of educated youths in the state to reduce unemployement.
The executive chairman reaffirmed the state government’s readiness to partner with relevant stakeholders to upgrade the standard of education in the state.
“Kano state government-sponsored a large percentage of its indigenous to further their education. Education promotion committee (EPC) were given intervention funds to go round the local government’s to find out their problems and seek assistance on the provision of learning materials and infrastructures”
In a remark, the state commissioner for education Alhaji Sunusi Sa’idu Kiru said the government had established a girl child education unit to cater for the girl child in terms of education.
He also said the Kano state was committed to the provision of free and compulsory education through the provision of additional schools, learning materials, payment of examination fees among others.
Alhaji Sunusi explained that it had established two additional girls secondary schools within the state metropolis. Saying that over 100 girls schools would be established across the 44 local governments.
The commissioner pointed out that the state government had taken adequate proactive security measures to protect the lives of students including the closure of boarding schools and conversion of some boarding schools to day.
“Government has paid 100% examination fees for girls,and has established additional girls boarding schools with adequate learning materials and infrastructures to cater for their health and we’ll being”
Earlier in a remark, the state team leader of Partnership to Engage Reform and learn(PERL),Malam Isah Surajo, said the public policy dialogue was organized to pave way for meaningful discussions on the effects of insecurity on the educational system.
He noted that at the end of the dialogue, stakeholders would proffer lasting solutions to girl child education and ensure a safe and protective learning environment that would increase access, attendance, reduce truancy, enhance retention and completion.
Malam Isah Surajo charged the government at all levels to improve service delivery through mapping out policies and programs and inclusive realistic budget that would go a long way in developing the society.
“There should always be a voice,policies and laws to guide citizens demand.We encourage inclusive realistic budget,public procurement especially in health and education”
In their separate remarks the Kano state commissioner of planning and budget,Alhaji Muhammad Nura Dankade and the executive secretary of the state universal basic education board Malam Danlami Hayyu said the state government had allocated over 30% of it’s total budget to education.
They pointed out that Kano has 3.8 million children enrolled in primary schools,out of which over 2 million are girls,and has commenced the building of additional block of class rooms to accommodate the large number of students.
Radio Nigeria report that The public policy dialogue on education and contemporary security challenges in Nigeria:Themed ‘ Implication of Insecurity in the development of Education sector in kano’ witnessed a large turn out of government functionaries, traditional leaders, development partners, heads of learning institutions and all relevant stakeholders in the educational sector.
KHADIJAH ALIYU/KANO