Under the Kaduna State education reform, some 21,780 teachers may have been controversially eased out but under the same policy, something good is also happening especially in Rigasa, Igabi Local Government Area of the state.
Five highly populated primary schools in the area have got a facelift, with 110 new classrooms to be commissioned by Governor Nasir el-Rufai on May 29.
El-Rufai on assumption of office announced his resolve to fix the rot in the education sector in the state, with special interest in primary education, being the foundation. He started with the school feeding programme, which jacked up enrolment of primary school pupils from 1.2 million to over 1.8 million within a session.
The sudden increase in the pupils enrolment propelled the government to also face the infrastructural decay in the sector and the effort had seen to renovation and refurbishment of the primary schools structures, as well as provision furniture, books and uniform to the pupils across the state.
But, the government was shocked when it came to realise that the teachers, which it thought was the smallest of the problem, is actually the biggest challenge to its reform process. A source in the government told The Nation that, “we initially thought the only problem with that teachers is that, a few of them don’t have the requisite certificates to teach. We never envisaged the level of poor performance on the part of the teachers”.
In view of that, competency test was organised and 21,780 teachers who could not score 75 per cent were shown the way. Although, the sack of the teachers drew a national outrage and even two time protest by the labour union, before NUT later bowed down, the government had since recruited new teachers, who are to fill vacant positions.
However, in the infrastructural development phase of the El-Rufai’s education reforms, parents, especially people of Rigasa have given the government kudos. To them, no government has ever been fair to them like the El-Rufai’s.
Though, rehabilitation and building of classrooms are common sights in other parts of the state, the 110 in Rigasa are different, because they are prototype structures of one storey building. The government said it resolved to give Rigasa special attention because of its population.
With over a million inhabitants, Rigasa is adjudged the largest ward in Nigeria in terms of population and landmass, larger than many local government areas in the country.
Officials of the El-Rufai government told journalists who went on tour of the projects last week that, the government met very huge population in the schools, without commensurate infrastructure to cater for the pupils, hence the special intervention of the this administration.
The Nation learnt that, the five new blocks of 110 classrooms in the five primary schools are billed for completion and commissioning by May 29.
The block of storey building classrooms ongoing at LEA Lokoja road has 30 classrooms, LEA Shawai; LEA Mashin Gwari are both with 20 classrooms each and two others also with 20 classrooms each all in Rigasa, are parts of emergency school programme, aimed at boosting primary school education in Kaduna state by accommodating the increasing number of pupils by the el-Rufai administration.
At the UBE Primary School, Ungwan Shawai, Rigasa, the Head Master, Malam Yahuza A. Yaro said that the project will go a long way in accommodating the over 21,009 pupils of the school.
“Due to inadequate structures, we are presently using temporary classrooms covered with tarpaulin. With the new students, we have over 21,000 pupils, we used to have 19,350 pupils. We have between 350 and 400 pupils in each class from primary 1A to 6E,” he explained.
“We thank the government for the intervention. The governor was here himself and he embarked on the project. He promised to add more classrooms,” he added while appealing for the construction of more toilets in the school. “We have toilet challenges. Only three are available for now.”
Speaking on why the pupils were seen sitting on the floor, he said that they had chairs in the past, but they were destroyed, adding that government has sent some people to come and assess the furniture in the school. “After the building is completed, we would make requests for chairs.”
Meanwhile, a source within the school appealed for the employment of more teachers. “Before the competency test, we had 22 teachers, now remaining seven before 10 new teachers were employed, so now we have 17 teachers and 16 volunteers,” he said.
Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission, Mr Adamu Hayatu assured that the projects would be completed by April. There was need to accommodate the increasing number of pupils, which was why the new classrooms were built. The project will be completed this month and commissioned next month.”
Meanwhile, residents of Rigasa who spoke with our Correspondent said that, the coming of Governor El-Rufai to govern the state was an answered prayer.
Umar Hamshaki, a resident who had resided in the area for 35 years, said that Kaduna State has never had a governor like El-Rufai. Apart from the intervention in primary school. We have a dual carriage way passing through here to railway station. He has assured us that these projects would be completed in few weeks to come.
