Kano Governor Slams Neglect of Schools, Reveals Plans to Recruit 5000 Teachers

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has voiced his dissatisfaction with the deteriorating state of education in the region. He revealed that as of his inauguration  a staggering 4.7 million primary school students were forced to sit on the bare ground during their lessons across the state. 

He further disclosed that over 400 schools in the state were operating with a single teacher responsible for all classes and subjects, a situation exacerbated by the lack of modern and adequate resources.

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During his declaration of a state of emergency on education at the Government House on Saturday, he announced his administration’s plan to recruit 5,000 new teachers into the state’s civil service to rejuvenate the education sector. The governor condemned the misuse and neglect of school facilities for commercial activities, describing it as an attack on public education.

He emphasized that the days of students enduring harsh learning conditions, such as sitting on bare floors, were over. He pledged to ensure the complete refurbishment of public schools and the provision of necessary furniture.

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“More than 4.7 million pupils were sitting on bare floors to take lessons while about 400 schools have only one teacher for all classes and all pupils. Instead of constructing more classrooms, providing basic furniture in the schools, and hiring more teachers, the previous administration chose to encroach on the land of these schools, even going as far as demolishing classrooms to make room for shops in some places. Schools that they couldn’t sell were shut down and left to be vandalized. The invasion of public school lands and the transformation of these crucial institutions into private business premises is a violation of our communal values and a direct attack on our commitment to public education. This reckless conversion of educational spaces for commercial use is unacceptable and must be halted immediately,” he stated.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to addressing the precarious state of the education sector in the state. “As your elected governor, tasked with the solemn duty of guiding our state towards prosperity and progress, I cannot overlook the stark reality that confronts us in the field of education.

"And with education being our top priority, and believing that education is not only a public good but also the most valuable legacy that any society can leave for its future generation because no society can develop beyond the quality and standard of its education system, we must, therefore, take radical but practical steps to restructure education provisioning in our state,” he said.

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He also expressed worry about the rising number of out-of-school children in the state, while assuring that his administration had taken appropriate measures to address the issue.