Posted by On Sunday, the Kano State government issued a warning, threatening to take severe measures against parents whose kids are discovered wandering the streets while classes are in session.
During a stakeholder meeting with women on “the significance of girls education for accelerated socio-economic development” of the state, Umar Doguwa, the Commissioner of Education, gave the warning.
According to Doguwa, the government will not put up with tardiness, absences, or kids running the streets while classes are in session.
He stated that among other things, the state government has made education free and supplied a means of transportation for kids to get to school; as a result, parents must support government initiatives by making sure their children attend school.
“We met the education sector in a pathetic situation when we came on board,” he stated. Out of the 5.3 million pupils in the state, we observed around 4.5 of them sitting on the floor without any seats or educational resources.
The former government closed twenty-eight boarding schools. After the shutdown, we had roughly 9,000 kids attending boarding schools out of the approximately 32,000 pupils enrolled in those schools. Currently, the majority attend day schools.
“So, even though the government, led by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, set aside 29.7% of the budget for education, promised to pay salaries on schedule, fixed about 70 high-capacity vehicles to get kids to school, and kept an eye on teachers’ behavior, what about kids who don’t go to school and parents whose job it is to get their kids to school?
The student component is the only one left, so we made the decision to contact the parents to ask about the value of education and their promise to let their kids go to school on time.
“If we discover a child arriving late to school, we will notify the parents, welcome them in, and clarify the circumstances, requesting that the children arrive by 8:00 am. And we will take necessary action if they ignored the call.
“We will take action against children who arrive late for school in the same manner that we do with teachers who arrive late.”
“Men and women alike must acknowledge that it is their duty to send their children to school.”
Hajia Ladidi Fagge, the secretary of the High Level Women Association (HILWA), linked the state’s closing of its boarding schools to the high percentage of females who are not in school.
He mentioned that the majority of the girls who were boarding school students are now selling goods on the street.
Nonetheless, she urged parents—particularly women—to support the government’s initiatives by making sure their kids attend school.