The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (BASUBEB) has returned 153,398 out of school children to classroom under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programmes in 16 of the 20 local government areas of the state.
The State Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Abubakar Sirimbai Sheikh Dahiru stated this when he declared open the twin separate trainings of 158 enumerators and supervisors and sensitization of LG Chairmen, traditional and community leaders and Tsangaya scholars on the objectives of BESDA in Almajiri education in the state.
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Dr Sirimbai said BESDA is a World Bank Programme in collaboration with the federal and state government with the aim of returning out of school children to classroom.
He said in the first phase of the exercise, which was carried out last year under the project, 94,000 pupils were returned to school in nine local government areas, and this year seven local governments were added, bringing the number of the LGs under the programme to 16.
The hairman, who is the State Project Coordinator of the programme, said a community mapping was carried out in October 2021 in 16 LGs where they identified 1,220,750 out of school children.
“The number is worrisome, because out of the number, 488,300 are male while 732,450 are female and the state is expected to return at least 153,398 to school,” he said.
The lLGs registered for the programme are Alkaleri, Bauchi, Dambam, Darazo, Itas Gadau, Misau, Katagum, Zaki, Shira, Giade, Jamaare, Toro, Dass, Ganjuwa, Ningi, and Gamawa.
He said the programme caters for the welfare of the pupils by providing conducive atmosphere for learning for them, including all learning and instructional materials, water, toilets, soaps, detergent, mats, uniform, disable cycles to ease their transportation to school.
Dr Sirimbai said last year “we recruited 2,500 teachers that teach the 94,000 pupils that graduated and presently we are going to recruit over 3,334 qualified teachers that will teach in the centers we intend to establish.”
He appealed to parents, community and religious leaders to support the Governor Bala Mohammed efforts to bring education to the doorsteps of pupils and his effort to restore the lost glory of education in the state.
In their separate remarks, the enumerators and traditional and community leaders expressed gratitude to SUBEB for organizing the training and sensitization workshop, pledging to put in their best for the success of the exercise.
