Kaduna Govt commence merging of 359 schools due to insecurity

Oluwasegun SanusiMay 9, 20241 Mins read67 Views

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has voiced deep concern over the decline in student enrollment in schools across the state, attributing it to the escalating insecurity fueled by kidnapping, banditry, and related crimes.

Governor Sani highlighted this issue during a one day capacity-building program organized by the Nigeria Police Force School Protection Squad in Kaduna.

Expressing the gravity of the situation, Governor Sani disclosed the government’s initiative to relocate 359 schools from areas plagued by terrorism and merge them with institutions situated in safer locations.

He emphasized the urgent need to safeguard the education of children amidst the rampant insecurity that has gripped various regions of the state.

Sani’s remarks were punctuated by recent tragic incidents, such as the abduction of 135 students from the LEA Primary and Junior Secondary School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, underscoring the dire consequences of insecurity on educational access and safety.

“Incidents like the kidnapping of 135 students tragically illustrate the devastating impact of insecurity on education access and safety,” Sani remarked. “

To ensure that the education of our children in conflict-prone and terrorist-infested areas is not interrupted, we have commenced the merging of 359 schools with those in safe locations.”

The governor lamented the alarming drop in school enrollment rates, pointing out that Kaduna State had recorded over 200,000 fewer primary school pupils in the 2022/2023 academic session compared to the previous year.

He attributed this significant decline, from 2,111,969 to 1,734,704 pupils, largely to the prevailing insecurity situation.

Sani stressed that the crisis in the educational system was particularly acute in several local government areas, including Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, where insecurity had forced school consolidation, exacerbating the issue of out-of-school children.

Sani commended the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, for establishing the Schools Protection Squad, an initiative aimed at proactively enhancing security and safety in educational institutions across Nigeria.