BESDA and out-of-school syndrome in Kebbi state

BESDA, an acronym for Better Education Service Delivery for All, was a 5-year education development programme that started operation in 2018. Designed for the improvement of literacy status of the citizenry, the programme came as a divine attribute to indigenes of Kebbi state. The people, therefore, got the liberty to reassert and embrace the slogan Kebbi state was known for across the globe, as the hub of the intellects and warriors.

As the contents of the programme concurred with his education vision and philosophy, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Matawallen Gwandu) had no choice than to accord unto Ceasar what was Ceaser’s for the right scheme of values to emerge in the state. He therefore, tasked the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Professor Sulaiman Khalid (Dan Isan Jega), to see to the proper implementation of BESDA activities to logical conclusion.

As the pull part of the push process, the Khalid-BESDA-led management took-off with the sub-division of Kebbi state into Area One, Two and Three which, reflecting the three senatorial districts that constitute the state. The methodology was adopted to effect its planned advocacy and sensitisation campaign, to bring back to school 500,915 out-of-school children that, hitherto, dotted the urban, semi-urban and rural communities across the state. The figure comprises almajirai, girl-child and nomadic children set to be housed in the 4,915 Learning Centres (LCs) to receive basic education lessons at their respective domain.

Each of the 15,810 teachers recruited by BESDA would receive a monthly salary of N10,000.00. Adequate writing materials were also distributed along with Teachers’ Guide, Admission and Daily Attendance Registers to feed the over 500,915 learners as the maiden literacy programme took-off in Kebbi state.

As the quest for overall success remained the vogue, BESDA has seen the essence to work for the improvement of its man-power position. It, therefore, framed a time table for the training of the master trainers on two literacy programmes in English and vernacular, thus “JOLLY PHONICS and RANA” with relevant pupils’ textbooks. In furtherance of the training schedules mentors/coaches, primary school teachers were also to benefit from the training sessions deemed to recycle along the life span of the programme in the state.

Apart from training the trainers, mentors and coaches were billed to ensure regular visits and organise meetings with the head teachers of the schools with a view to sanitise or remove any grey areas militating against the objectives of the literacy programmes.

With a pro-people concept, BESDA was bound to succeed and lay some legacies for the future generations in the state to uphold and sustain. The success, however, hinged on the management’s efforts to open up consultations with traditional institutions and secure a clustered dialogue with the community-cum-education-stakeholders in Kebbi state. Such imports could possibly render greater dividends than expected in a heterogeneous community that beheld Kebbi state from time immemorial.

Created in August 1991, Kebbi state had registered a significant milestone via the attainment of educational laurels that surpassed the existing northern states in the past. Its impacts could still be traced from the northern regional era to the present day. Kebbi that once upon a time prepared the education blueprint for Sokoto and Zamfara states, today seems to be pathing through difficult education terrains in the comity of states of the federation.

Reasons to this effect are not farfetched. A mind boggling 814,915 out-of-school children was made public in the recent survey conducted in Kebbi state by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. It was the perturbing revelation that attracted the minister of state for education at the national flag-off campaign for the out-of-school children in January held at the state capital, Birnin Kebbi.

BESDA has only six months grace to accomplish this task. It was a no retreat no surrender, to say the least.

Haliru Sarki Kende,

Birnin Kebbi,

Kebbi state

Haliru Sarki Kende

[email protected]

Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State

080-67234599