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By MAGAJI HUNKUYI
THE bold steps initiated by Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State
to revitalize the education sector is a welcome development in a
state which very little attention was paid to the education sector
in the past leading to its near collapse.The focus now is to improve
on the very foundation of the system that is primary and junior
secondary schools which serve as a ladder to the high education.
On his assumption of office Mr. Suntai has expressed concern over
the low standard of education especially at the primary and
secondary level in the state. It was in this regard that the
governor pledged to revitalize the sector for the simple reason that
no society will develop without paying good attention to the
education of its citizens.
Suntai’s concern to the problem of the educational made him to
resolve to address the problem and this was demonstrated shortly
after he assumed office with the setting up of a committee to review
and identify the problem facing the sector. Similarly the
reconstitution of the universal basic education board in August 13th
2007 by the governor further demonstrated his concern for the
sector. Mr. Hilkiah Bubajoda Mafindi, was appointed as the chairman
of the board, while the other members of the board include Hajiya
Maryam Usman Bibinu, permanent member II Mr. Collins Kalanko
permanent member I and Alhaji Adamu Jallo as member III while Malam
Usman Joda was appointed the secretary of the board.
Governor Danbaba it could be recalled had told the members of the
newly constituted board his administration has accorded the
educational sector priority and therefore it will do everything
within its limited resources to improve on the standard of education
in the state. Mr. Danbaba Suntai therefore charged the board members
to ensure that they do everything possible to improve the standard
of primary education in the state.
Thus on his assumption of office on August 3, 2007 the chairman Mr.
Bubajoda Mafindi vowed to ensure he translates the government’s
intention to reality. The first step Mafindi took was to identify
the real problems confronting the system with a view to solving
them.
The task is enormous though he has the backing of the governor; the
chairman held several meetings with top officials of the board
during which he told them his mission.
A mission he said he must succeed because of his conviction that
when an assignment is given to you by your leaders you must carry it
with all the seriousness it deserves.
He told the board officials that every one of them must do his job
and the time of laxity was over.
To him it’s the dawn of a new era and a new approach where
dedication, seriousness and commitment will be the watch word.
To ensure that everybody in the board carry out his schedule and do
the right thing the chairman therefore embarked on general
renovation of the board headquarters and for provision of furniture
with a view to creating conducive working environment which will
enable the officials at the headquarters perform effectively.
Similarly vehicles grounded were repaired to enable for strict
monitoring and supervision of schools.
The chairman reiterated his readiness to restore the lost glory of
primary education in the state and therefore thanked everyone to
give his best towards achieving the desired goal.
The chairman apart from providing the conducive working environment
at the board headquarters which is the central nerve of the system,
he now focus his attention at the acting education secretaries who
are in the sixteen local government areas of the state, monitoring
officers as well as headmasters and explained his mission.
During series of the meetings he held with them, the chairman
emphasized the need for them to show more dedication and commitment
to the service.
He told them that the present administration intend to improve on
the quality of primary education in the state and therefore expected
to work towards achieving the good intention of the government.
Mr. Bubajoda who has been in the educational system for many years
therefore introduced a lot of measures having identified the problem
confronting the system following his visits to primary schools in
the state capital and its environ.
During his visits to the schools the chairman and his team
identified that there was a general decay in the system and some
thing need to be done urgently to address the problem.
What the chairman and his team saw in some schools in the metropolis
was discouraging and at the same time served as an eye opener of the
problem confronting the system.
The problem could be attributed to the neglect the system suffered
in the past which the present regime intended to correct. In
practical term, the primary education had never had it so good as
the government is out in real term to address the problem concerning
the system.
As it was noted Mr. Danbaba Suntai had repeatedly expressed his
concern over the decay in the education sector in the state which
led to the falling standard of education. Apart from what the
government can do within its limited resources the state could also
benefit in term of funds and general intervention from the national
headquarters of the Universal Basic Education and international
donor agencies.
However, such benefit can only come to the state if the government
shows a level of commitment in the way of payment of counter part
funds.
It was for this reason and for the fact that the system needs urgent
intervention of the state government and other relevant agencies
that the state government paid the sum of 290 million Naira counter
part funds for third and fourth quarter for the year 2006 which was
first in the history of the state that such amount of money was
released at once.
With the payment of the counter part funds, the state is now in a
good position to draw an equal amount of money from the National
Board of Universal Basic Education.
Thus by the time the amount is expended, primary education as well
as junior secondary education for which the funds was intended for
would have fully regained its lost glory in terms of infrastructure,
basic instructional materials as well as the quality of teaching.
The chairman in some of his encounters with newsmen said effort will
also be made to provide conducive atmosphere for learning and also
boost the morale of teachers by improving their welfare.
Teachers are the backbone of the system as no amount of
infrastructure and instructional materials you provide that will
give the quality education you require if the teachers do not teach
very well.
However, the teachers must reciprocate the good gesture by showing
high level of commitment in the services.
In the past teachers salary was delayed while promotion of teachers
were not carried out as the case is with the rest of civil servants.
All these and other factors led to the low moral of the teachers and
consequently created general apathy to services among the teachers.
In an effort to improve on the general welfare of the teachers, all
outstanding promotion of primary school teachers to the year 2006
was carried out while all the promotion was implemented which
enabled the teachers to get full benefits.
Similarly all unpaid leave grants was cleared and teachers now
receive their salaries along with civil servants that is by the 25th
or 27 of every months. The situation was different in the last
twenty years.
The initiative of the chairman for constant inspection of school and
monitoring of teachers had compelled teachers now to show more
dedication to duty.
The initiative has reduced cases of absenteeism among teachers while
pupils attendance has improved tremendously which made it possible
for pupils to be taught within the school curriculum.
Similarly it is worthy of note that teachers are now provided with
exercise books to plan their lessons which is now compulsory and
isbeing monitored on daily basis.
Text book for the three core subjects, English, Mathematics and
Primary science is provided to pupils free of charge all in an
effort to encourage effective learning.
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