Adeleye Kunle Reports
The federal government accused some northern governors of mismanaging basic education yesterday, TrackNews reports.
During the weekly ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Education Minister Adamu Adamu leveled the accusation against the governors.
According to the minister, the situation discourages the Federal Government from implementing interventions at that level of education.
In response to a question about the state of nomadic education, Adamu said the scheme had met the same fate as basic education in several northern states.
The Federal Government established the National Commission for Nomadic Education in 1989 with the goal of “boosting literacy and equipping them with skills and competencies to enhance their well-being and participation in the nation-building process.”
However, the minister emphasized that “the problem we have in nomadic education is similar to the problem I had when I came into government with my journalistic exuberance.” “I expected an emergency to be declared.”
“However, on reflection, not by me, but by the government, we discovered that declaring an emergency is more a matter for states,” he added. As a result, my efforts were focused on the states. I was asked to go to the National Economic Council after presenting my memo to the (Federal Executive) Council (NEC).
“I presented the paper three times in an attempt to persuade state governments of the wisdom of declaring an emergency, at least in primary schools.” The government’s hand would then be strengthened, even if only through intervention, to assist states in rescuing primary schools.”
Adamu contended that his efforts as a minister at the federal level would “mean nothing if the foundational education system is already rotten.”
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the North accounts for more than 60% of Nigeria’s out-of-school children.
“The way our primary schools are…,” the minister says. And I’d like to say this about governors: except for a few, it appears that they seek power in order to destroy education at the primary school level.”
“I don’t think any governor has a good story to tell about primary education and nomadic education,” Adamu said. The Federal Government is only interfering.
“As a result, unless we have full cooperation from the states, I believe achieving the goals of nomadic education will take a long time.” “I hope states change their minds.”
The minister also claimed that the almajiri school system, which was left over from the Goodluck Jonathan administration, had not been properly implemented.
“I believe the government we inherited did not properly conceptualize almajiri schools and how to run them.” However, I am aware that they are currently being implemented in our schools.
“As I previously stated, there are now approximately 6 million out-of-school children, and it is likely that some of them are flocking here” (Abuja). However, there should be a government policy prohibiting the movement of almajiri or almajirai, as they are known in Hausa. “There should be a plan in place to instruct them wherever they are,” he said.
