Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, the Commissioner for Higher Education in Sokoto State, has hailed the declaration of state of emergency in the education sector by the state government.
He said the declaration was yielding positive results.
Kilgori made the observation during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Sokoto.
NAN reports that Governor Aminu Tambuwal declared a state of emergency in the education sector of the state in December 2015.
The commissioner said the declaration had brought improvements in infrastructure, community participation and increased enrollment of students.
Kilgori said the Consultative Committee on Educational Development in the state, headed by Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar III, was playing a key role in ensuring maximum participation in the sector.
He said the committee’s involvement had facilitated donation of classes and other school facilities by stakeholders at the community level.
“Many communities are now constructing classes, renovations and donation of temporary structures accommodating more students into education system,” the commissioner said.
He said no fewer than 85 new junior secondary schools and 23 senior secondary schools were constructed between 2015 and 2017.
Kilgori said: “The effort is to improve access and proximity to education and for parents to have more confidence in sending their children to schools and ensure that all products were transited into nearby secondary schools after primary education.
“Previously about 30 per cent of primary school levers continue to further their studies to junior secondary schools due to challenges.
“At present more than 70 per cent secure admission to secondary schools because of expansion and increased presence of schools at nearby communities.”
The commissioner said it was a big challenge managing about 15,000 teachers teaching 750,000 pupils in 2,011 primary schools across the 23 local government areas of the state.
He said the introduction of Conditional Cash Transfer scheme and pilot free feeding programmes in some selected schools had facilitated increased in enrollments.
As part of government’s efforts, education sector obtained highest percentage in state budgets consecutively in 2016 (26.7%), 2017 (26.3%) and (27%) in 2018.
“Government also ensures timely payment of salaries of teachers who are first among workers, gratuity and pension payments which serve as motivator to teachers,” Kilgori said.