Bauchi State Government through the Ministry of Education and the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) have engaged 309 members of the School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) for training across the state on their responsibilities and the improved school management.
The State Government has reiterated its commitment to addressing challenges in girl-child education across the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Jamila Muhammad Dahiru, noted this while declaring open of a five-day workshop for SBMC members at Government Girls Secondary School, Bauchi.
The workshop would train 309 SBMC members across the state on their roles, responsibilities, and the development of school improvement plans.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Aliyu Babayo, the commissioner noted that the AGILE project is a key initiative recognized by the government for promoting education in the state.
She urged participants to focus on the training to complement the government’s efforts in advancing education and commended the state government for its unwavering support for the success of the AGILE project.
In his remark, the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Engr. Hon. Hamza Adamu Kawu, encouraged participants to diligently execute their roles after the training.
He emphasized that, given the significant investments in the education sector, particularly in the AGILE project, their active involvement is crucial.
He also assured participants that legislators would conduct oversight visits to AGILE beneficiary schools to ensure accountability.
The Chairman, the State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), Alhaji Adamu Muhammad Duguri, acknowledged some challenges facing girl-child education in the State.
“Girl-child education in the state has been in decline. Initially, I doubted the extent of the education system’s challenges until I assumed office as SUBEB chairman,” Duguri stated. “However, with the AGILE project, the government is now taking steps to sanitize the system, especially regarding girl-child education.”
He further pointed out that many of the issues in education stem from societal attitudes, with some parents failing to encourage their children to attend school.
Duguri stressed the importance of involving SBMCs to ensure the success of the AGILE project, as the government alone cannot address all the challenges.
The AGILE State Coordinator, Alhaji Ali Sule Gar, explained that the project aims to bring out-of-school girls back into the education system.
He noted that many schools in the state face significant challenges, including infrastructure destruction, long distances between schools and students, and poverty.
“In response to these challenges, the World Bank and the Federal Government initiated the AGILE project, and Bauchi State is one of the beneficiaries,” Gar said.
He noted that under the project, 42 new schools will be constructed in the first phase, and 1,030 junior and senior secondary schools will be renovated across the state. “Additionally, financial assistance will be provided to approximately 20,250 junior and senior secondary school students,” he said.
Representing the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Dr. Rilwanu Adamu, the Sarkin Yakin Bauchi, Alhaji Aliyu Yakubu, observed “In rural communities, parents often send their daughters to work on farms rather than attend school. There is a need to take this campaign to rural areas rather than focusing only on cities.”
