Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has promised to uplift the standard of education in the state.
“God will not forgive me if after realising the decay in the sector, I leave office without doing anything,” Sule said on Friday in Lafia while receiving a report on a baseline survey on educational wellbeing of primary and secondary schools.
The survey was conducted by a committee headed by Prof. Mohammed Isa Kida, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Management Studies, Federal University, Lafia.
The governor, who decried the dilapidated conditions of some of the schools, said that the report would guide the government’s efforts to make a difference.
While thanking members of the committee for a wonderful job, he particularly commended the Chairman, Prof. Kida, for his “thoroughness and passion for each research works”.
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He said that what he wanted, which was in line with his character, was for the committee to present the facts, no matter how painful, so that the administration could start work from ground zero.
The governor said he was committed to education, especially science and technical education, adding that his administration would work as much as possible to reposition the sector.
He commended various administrations for their efforts to improve the standard of education in the state, singling out the administration of his predecessor, Sen. Umaru Tank Al-makura, who “embarked on the massive construction of schools”.
“Every governor focused and concentrated on areas of their own interest, or areas that they strongly believe will promote education.
“But education in totality requires so many diverse areas. I am committed to education in Nasarawa State, and today, really, is one of my best days.
“This is a day I have been looking forward to; I have been waiting for this report, so we will now start from here and build the sector,” he said.
The governor, while recounting how he turned around the former AP Petroleum from a negative balance sheet to a positive balance sheet, said he was ready to burst the bubble in order to start from ground zero.
The governor said that from the inspection tour that took him to various schools in each of the senatorial zones, most of the structures are unfit to serve as learning centres to groom children.
“When you mentioned that 90 per cent of our schools, especially primary schools, are dilapidated, a lot of people, who don’t understand what is happening, may not believe you,” he stated.
Gov. Sule said that it was his special interest in science and technology that spurred his government to hasten to complete the skill acquisition centre along Jos Road, started by the Al-Makura administration.
“The centre, which has 12 shops running courses in electrical installation, fitter machinist, motor mechanic, carpentry and joinery, welding, fabrication, radio and television, air-condition and refrigeration and agricultural mechanisation, will admit trainees this year,’’ he said.
He disclosed plans to also turn around two technical schools located in Assakio and Agwada, while promising to personally renovate the Government Science School, Lafia.
“We are going to work as much as possible to promote science and technical education.
“I am pleading with our people to understand because handcraft will help you a lot to even set up your business,” he said.
Earlier, while presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Prof. Kida, had said that it consisted of raw data for primary schools in six volumes as well as three volumes for secondary schools.
He said that the data was obtained from across the 13 local government areas of the state.
According to him, the survey started in December last year.
“The objective of a baseline survey is to establish the baseline where to start so that the administration will know where it is going.”
Prof. Kida revealed that there are 1,391 primary schools and 419 secondary schools in Nasarawa State, out of which 19 are junior, 320 senior, and 29 boarding schools.
“As researchers, we have done our work by stating the facts, some of which will make the governor happy, while others will make him sad.
“Some of the findings from the report indicate that 90 per cent of the schools are in the rural areas, 72 per cent of headteachers in primary schools are not qualified, because the national requirement for being a headmaster is a minimum of the first degree, not NCE, among others.
“In 70 per cent of the schools reported on, we found that 30 per cent of the pupils do not come to classes regularly,” he stated.
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