Without any element of doubt, education is an instrument of change and development for any society. No country can prosper beyond the intellectual capacity of its citizens, and that primary education is the bedrock for any reliable intellectual achievement in the future.
Hence, the negligent of the primary education sub-sector of any country amounts to retarding the progress of the country or state in question. This reality, therefore, presupposes the necessity for any responsible government to pay all the necessary attention to primary education sub-sector to insure adequate provision of conducive atmosphere for effective teaching and learning.
The story of primary education in Zamfara state started in 1996 when the state was created by the then Military Head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha. One can say without the slightest fear of contradiction that in no time that the present administration since the creation of the state did primary education sub-sector received the attention it deserves.
The present administration of Hon. (Dr) Abdul-aziz Yari Abubakar approached the overhaul of this scientific way with the formation of high powered committee of distinguished academicians, educationists and administrators under the leadership of Prof. Tukur Adamu of the Usman Danfodio University Sokoto to undertake a baseline study on the confounding problems bedeviling the development of the basic education sub-sector in the state.
The committee, Zamfara State Primary Education Assessment Committee (ZSPEAC), conducted its investigation steadily and successfully withing six months and submitted its report to the state government for consideration and implementation.
In this period, all primary schools in the state were visited and their infrastructural and manpower situations were assessed.
MAJOR FINDINGS OF ZSPEAC
The report of the Committee was received by the State Government in June 2012 with the sad revelation that the primary education sub-sector was not only weal and ineffective, but in a state of decay and deterioration characterized by myriads of challenges.
The report explained that classrooms were not only in a state of dilapidation but grossly insufficient that thousands of children were found learning under shades with over 80% of them sitting on bare floor due to lack of furniture.
The few available staff accommodations were inhabitable because of the various levels of degradation. Hence, teachers were forced to reside at home, thereby leading to late coming and absenteeism. The Committee also reported a pathetic situation in the availability of instructional materials and the use of school records such as lesson plan and scheme of work.
On the quality of teachers, an intimidating 60% of the staff employed in LGEAs neither had the qualification nor the capacity to teach. Similarly, the schools were mostly without any functional PTA or SBMC; hence the isolation of parents and communities from the collective venture of the education of their wards/children. Also, LGEA and the Board officials who were suppose to be responsible for the monitoring and supervision of schools under their jurisdiction showed no commitment in the discharge of their responsibilities.
School enrolment was very low and pupil's attendance was excessively poor. The participation of pupils in extra-curricular activities within and out side the state was unbearable low.
Its at the speak of these unfortunate conditions of the primary education sub-sector that the present administration came into power with a strong passion to bring about a change. Thus, the administration of Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari (Shattiman Mafara) deployed diverse strategies for salvaging this all important sector amidst several huddles.
Source: ZSUBEB
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