It is now two years since the commencement of the implementation of the Free, Compulsory Basic and Post Basic Education in Kano state introduced at the dawn of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s second tenure in office. And despite the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the global community and nearly pushed the nation’s economy to its knees, the administration endure investing into the policy which is also in configuration with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted at provision of quality education that can only supported by consistent funding.
The 2020 budget, which had to be revised to capture realities that cushion the disruptions caused by the adverse effect of COVID-19 pandemic, the Ganduje administration earmarked to the education sector 30 per cent of the total revised budget. While in the year 2021, the sum of N37.8 billion representing 25 per cent of the total budget is allocated, less than 5 per cent of last year to education to sustain and improve on the success so far achieved in the implementation of the education policy in the state.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the implementation of free and compulsory basic and secondary education in the last two years for all children in the state has recorded huge success.
Though very expensive, considering the huge amount of money involved, Ganduje believes that there is no better time to lay strong foundation for the future of Kano children, than now; and this must be done by ensuring that every Kano child has unhindered access to free and compulsory education. This is a promise by the governor and has been fulfilled. During the period under review, the state government’s huge investments into the sector in the area of infrastructure, staff development and the provision of teaching/ learning equipment is making the policy effective by guaranteeing equal opportunities for all citizens to access quality and inclusive education without any form of discrimination.
This is also in addition to working towards a comprehensive and integrated basic education reform programmes to deepen the processes, structures and mechanisms for improving accountability in teaching and learning across both public and private schools in the state.
The state government has distributed instructional materials worth over N1.5 billion to primary and junior secondary schools in the 44 Local Government Areas of the state. This is in addition to the distribution of thousands of specially built three-seater pupils’ desks and teachers’ furniture to schools across the state, the distribution of free school uniforms to 779,522 primary schools pupils across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state as a follow-up to the new education policy in the state.
It was Governor Ganduje’s conviction that for the free and compulsory primary education to be life-like, there is the beguiling need for the unmitigated construction and renovation of infrastructure in primary schools in addition to policies and programmes aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning atmosphere. The administration has distributed, in the latest exercise, over N880million to Community Promotion Council (CPC) for renovation of primary schools in the 44 local governments of the state.
The governor’s commitment was renewed in series of similar exercise when on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, Governor Ganduje launched the disbursement of N148 million in grants to 1,400 public high schools across the state as part of the state Education Day activities. The grant is also aimed at improving the state’s Almajiri free education and integration policy. The event marked the distribution of vouchers to schools for daily maintenance, electronic tablets to education officials of the 44 local government areas for data generation, analysis management and data transfer such as enrollment, registration, discipline, among other things, at headquarters without physical appearance, 543,360,000 books in English, Mathematics and Basic Texts to 840 schools, 60 in each of the 14 zones.
And to also maintain funding for the Free Education Policy and other education programmes, the state did not default in matching funding from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC. In fact, since assumption of office in 2015, the Ganduje administration has never failed to provide its matching funding for the development of education, even as the state has already paid part of the 2021 funding.
The state government has also been strengthening other sources of funding for the policy that include resources from Education Trust Fund (ETF), five per cent of the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), one per cent of Local Government Areas (LGAs) Funds and community participation where individuals voluntarily donate to the basket of the policy all under the Kano Education Trust Fund (KETFUND) which is aimed at achieving equitable and inclusive access to quality education for all in accordance with Education 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Also as part of ensuring the workability of the component of the policy, the state government has ensured that the 2, 662 female secondary school teachers it sponsored have completed their accelerated National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme to improve their knowledge and skills.
Today, in Kano, 98 percent of primary school teachers in the state are qualified. The feat was achieved through sustainable training and re-training of primary school teachers by his administration. So far, almost all primary school teachers have obtained the lowest teaching qualification, Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE).
The free education policy has provided opportunities to all school-age children to gain access to quality education for a full cycle of basic education. This further consolidate the commitment of the state government to the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA), a UNICEP programme, which is aimed at ensuring equitable access to basic education for out of school children. Indeed, the launching of free, compulsory basic and secondary education policy has made serious impact with the reduction of the data of out-of-school children in Kano. Over 500,000 out-of-school children in the state are now back to school, as the state’s school enrolment level increases tremendously. The state witnessed a drastic increase in school enrolment, following numerous intensive interventions in the education sector.
The policy has proved effective and sustainable and provided opportunities to all school-age children to gain access to quality education for a full cycle of basic education. Government has also encompassed post basic education into the policy with a view to giving more opportunity to the pupils that annually churn out from our primary schools and particularly for the girl child in compliance with the approved Kano State Girls Child Education Policy (KNGEP). The political will and courage by Ganduje to holistically pursue the implementation of the policy is a clear deviation from the norm where the policy does not go beyond mere declaration and using it by others as a platform to siphon public funds.
This is because apart from financial issues that prove to be part of the greatest challenges in the implementation of free primary education in Nigeria, operating the policy had been very hard for government at all levels since it is a matter of political convenience rather than planned education development.
Garba is the commissioner for Information, Kano state
