Gombe flags off distribution of school uniforms, writing materials

A total of 400 schools have either been constructed or renovated by the Gombe State government just as the governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, has undertaken to sponsor the education of visually impaired pupils in the state.

The governor also recently flagged off the distribution of school uniforms and bags containing writing materials to pupils in public schools and girl-child learning centres across the state.

While performing the exercise at Jalingo Primary School, Furnakaye Local Government Area, Governor Yahaya said that the distribution of the materials demonstrated his administration’s commitment to improving the quality of education.

The governor expressed the hope that the gesture would help increase enrolment level in public schools and enhance the quality of teaching and learning.

Yahaya said his administration met an education system that was plagued with inadequate and decayed infrastructure, large number of out-of-school children and a poorly trained and motivated teaching work force.

He further said that government took necessary actions to improve basic literacy level by venturing into the Federal Government/World Bank project of Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) to mop up out-of-school children and return them to formal learning centres.

Governor Yahaya lauded BESDA and SUBEB as well as development partners such as USAID and  UNICEF for helping to revamp the standard of education in the state through training and retraining of teachers.

He disclosed that between September 2019 and March 2020, Gombe State government, through BESDA project, was able to enroll over 200,000 out-of-school children in school.

Commissioner for Education, Dr Habu Dahiru, assured the gathering that the ministry of education would continue to ensure that its statutory mandate of promoting quality educational policies is sustained.

In his welcome address, the BESDA state coordinator, Dr Abdullahi Bappah Garkuwa, lauded the educational initiatives of Governor Yahaya’s administration and the commitment of other development partners for supporting the BESDA project.

Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Babaji Babadidi, attributed the menace  of out-of-school children to poverty and security challenges, but applauded Governor Yahaya for taking necessary measures to nip the situation in the bud.

Over 200,000 pupils are expected to benefit from the free distribution of uniforms and learning materials, according to a statement by Ismaila Uba Misilli, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the governor.