Dr Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) says girls education is very vital to national development of any country urging parents to always to allow girls to finish their secondary school education before marrying them up.
‘’Without Education of the girl child we can’t change our society, we should allow them to finish their secondary school education before marrying them up,” Bobboyi said while speaking at the commissioning of a girl child community centre in Gafia village, Kaita Local Government, Katsina State.
He said he was not against marrying up girls but that parents should allow them to continue the search for knowledge even after marriage.
The UBEC chief said the commission is glad about the Kastina State Government for its numerous policies of promoting basic education especially girl child.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor, Kastina State, Mannir Yakubu identifies illiteracy and unemployment as a major threat to society.
Yakubu said Kastina State Government was prepared to work with UBEC to increase the number of such centres so that the girl child in the state would have access to proper education.
The Deputy Governor commended UBE and Senator Saddique Yar adua for his role initiating the project in the state.
The Centre has 40 sets of pupils furniture, 10 computers, four teachers furniture, one coordinator furniture, solar power with batteries inverter and panels among others’
Meanwhile, UBEC said it is now adopting new strategies in introducing basic education subjects in the North East of Nigeria.
The Commission noted that instead of constructing big structures, it is now consulting with the Alarammas to identify their essential needs with the provision that they will accept the introduction of basic education subjects.
Dr Bobboyi who disclosed this recently when he received a committee on reform of Tsangaya system of education from Borno State, said the Alarammas are also enjoined to sustain the IQTE programme and facilitate ownership by the benefiting community.
Other strategy taken according to the Executive Secretary includes the establishment of a six-member state implementation team (the majority of whom are SUBEB appointees) to among others assist in the planning and implementation of all projects to be carried out in the state.
There is also infrastructural development which includes: construction of two or four classrooms and hostel, supply of vocational equipment, toilets and water, the teaching of basic education in IQTE school, the basic education teachers are to be deployed by SUBEB, others include addressing the feeding problems of Almajirai which we hope the states will do a lot to help and distribution of textbooks to IQTE schools.
The Executive Secretary said presently UBEC in collaboration with Borno SUBEB has identified 25 number of Tsanga yal Almajiri centres in the state to be supplied with financial grants to improve their infrastructures.
“We believe that Borno state can do other things to support the IQTE schools in the state, after all the 1999 constitution as amended saddled the state and local government are with the responsibility of providing a year basic education,’ he said.
Dr Bobboyi noted that although the state is passing through very challenging time there are some measures to be taken that will only address the problem of out –of-school-children (OOSC) but even go a long way to engender peace in the state.
Some of the measure according to him include Almajiri centres should be included in the feeding programme, capacity building programme should be organized for the mallams and effective sensitization of the Alarammas should be carried out o that they will see the need to allow the children to acquire additional knowledge through basic education.