Gov. Ahmed Aliyu’s Education Revolution: Sokoto Schools Bounce Back From Ruins — Commissioner
Gov. Ahmed Aliyu’s Education Revolution: Sokoto Schools Bounce Back From Ruins — Commissioner
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala, says the education sector in Sokoto State has witnessed a complete turnaround since the inception of the present administration in May 2023.
Addressing journalists in Sokoto at the weekend, Prof. Ala gave updates on the myriad of achievements recorded in the sector, describing the progress as unprecedented in recent history.
According to the commissioner, Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto has demonstrated uncommon commitment to revamping education, placing it at the heart of his 9-Point Agenda, with massive funding, policy reforms and strategic interventions.
He said one of the most innovative strategies adopted by the ministry was peer-learning and cross-fertilization of ideas among teachers and schools across the state.
“We send our other parents to come and see what is happening there, to bring their teachers to also learn about this course.
” And also send these teachers to go to some schools, you know, in the zone of the offices, to also be guiding our teachers.
“We believe that when we continue to do this, you know, a lot of them will come,” Prof. Ala explained.
He noted that the approach had already improved teaching methodology, boosted teachers’ confidence and enhanced learners’ performance.
Prof. Ala further disclosed that the government had renovated and furnished hundreds of dilapidated primary and junior secondary schools across the 23 local government areas, constructed new classroom blocks, provided thousands of sets of desks and chairs, and supplied teaching and learning materials on a large scale.
Other achievements, he said, include the recruitment of qualified teachers, continuous professional development and retraining programmes, prompt and regular payment of teachers’ salaries and allowances, improved school supervision and monitoring, and the reactivation of School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).
He added that enrolment, retention and completion rates had significantly improved, particularly for the girl-child, following the government’s free education policy, school feeding support and sensitization campaigns involving traditional rulers, religious leaders and development partners like UNICEF and USAID.
The commissioner also said the ministry had strengthened accountability and discipline among teachers and students, resulting in better performance in internal and external examinations.
“We met an education sector that was almost comatose, but today, Governor Ahmed Aliyu has breathed a new lease of life into it.
“Schools that were hitherto in ruins are now centres of excellence,” he said.
Prof. Ala assured that the ministry will sustain the momentum and ensure that every child in Sokoto State has access to quality, functional and affordable basic and secondary education.
