As a former national leader of the Nigeria Union of Teacher, NUT, I can’t afford to see my colleagues stranded without chairs and tables to use
By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, has insisted his administration would not tolerate seeing any pupil in the state sitting on the floors when the teaching and learning processes are going in various schools.
Idris also disclosed that to correct some challenges in the education sector in the state, over N19 billion have been expended on the construction of mega schools, renovations and provisions of furniture to schools across the 21 local government areas of the state.
The governor stated this while declaring open the 2nd edition of the annual primary school teachers vacation course held at the Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi.
Government has selected 1,000 primary school teachers who are undergoing training in English language, Mathematics and Pedagogical Skills.
Idris, while addressing the participants said: “I am also a teacher and the pain of every teacher and every child is also my pain. I would therefore not tolerate seeing any pupil sitting on the floor. I consider it very bad, distasteful, unbearable and therefore unacceptable.
“As a former national leader of the Nigeria Union of Teacher, NUT, I can’t afford to see my colleagues stranded without chairs and tables to use. To arrest this situation, our UBEC/SUBEB projects worth about N19.3 billion were implemented for the construction of IQS Mega stations, laboratories, halls, hostels, construction of classrooms, wall, fences, renovation of classrooms, construction of ICT centers, boreholes, toilets, procurement of furniture for teachers and students, drainage and flood control, procurement of books, computers, basic science equipment and laboratories, sports equipment, agricultural education and other education activities including training of teachers”.
Governor also disclosed that the report of the screening committee for the recruitment of 2,000 teachers into civil service is being studied and would soon be approved for implementation.
In his remark, Kebbi State SUBEB chairman, Professor Suleiman Khalid, disclosed that 789 classrooms have been renovated with 16,582 units of school furniture provided, stressed that by the end of year 2025, about 1,182 classrooms would have been completely renovated.
Rector of the Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, Dr. Usman Sani Tunga, commended the state government for partnering with the institution’s consultancy services for the continuous retraining of the primary school teachers in the state
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Halima Bande, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji Nayalwa, in her remark, noted that the training would provide an opportunity for the teachers to reshape their knowledge and skills on their duties.
He stressed that the state government had invested huge amount of money on education to create an enabling learning environment for the pupils and teachers.