Shortages of teachers hits Jigawa schools as communities cries for help

Jigawa/education/teachers

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

In what appeared to be an emergency call for interventions to save thousands from future collapse, some Jigawa communities living in some areas of Babura local government cries out as the future of their younger generation is in red alert.

The calls was made during a town hall meeting with relevant stakeholders on partnership Defined Quality Scorecard in Babura local government, held at Auditorium of school of Nursing Babura and organised by PLANE and Save the Children International with support from Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) on Tuesday.

The members of the commuties also said, despite all world believe that education is the backbone any development but, their communities are on threat to be left behind as shortages of teachers the schools located at their environs.

The participants communities at the meeting comprised Lamintani, Masko, Dorowa, Insharuwa and Gari Uku communities all located at immediate past governor in the state, Babura local government areas.

Identifying their challenges, the representatives from Lamintani community explained that, their single primary with over five hundred (500) pupils both girls and boys suffers shortage of teachers as the schools have only teacher who is also about to retire.

Masko primary school is also another school with five hundred and thirty one (531) pupils sharing only one teacher who is also about to retire as stated by the residents from the community.

Another primary school located in Gari Uku also in Babura local government area, have over three hundred and forty (340) pupils managed by only one teacher as stated by the community members of Gari Uku.

Other primary schools include Insharuwa primary school with five hundred and fifty students (550) control by two teachers and Dorowa primary school with two hundred and ninety five (295) pupils and blessed with three teachers to teach them all the subjects.

“Even to control them alone, is a serious challenge, but we use to manage and teach them all the subjects as we can, sometimes volunteers from the community are helping us”, some teachers said.

The participants identified other challenges that include inadequate classrooms, inadequate teaching and learning materials, shortage of water in the schools as well as inadequate support from parents or guidiances of the students.

Responding to the appeals, the executive chairman Jigawa state Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) Professor Haruna Musa who was represented by SUBEB permanent member I Malam Nuhu Muhammad Babura, lamented the shortage of teachers in the state but said, the present administration is on process to address the challenges by recruiting more teachers through J-teach program.

Also speaking, the Babura local government chairman who was also represented by his vice Alhaji Ahmed Abdulhamid urged people to bear with their administration as it already embarked on renovation of schools.

While speaking earlier, the Project manager of Save the Children International in the state, Alfred Patience said, under the partnership Defined Quality Scorecard training, about 240 pupils both catch-up and numeracy and literacy were trained.

“So we decided to organize this state holder’s meeting to inform the m about the challenges before releasing the trained pupils to various primary schools in their respective areas” she said.