Bauchi to review separation of boys, girls education policy— Education commissioner

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Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Jamila Muhammad Dahiru

By Ude Ogbonnaya Israel, Bauchi

Bauchi State Government says it would set up a committee to review the deboarding of secondary schools and policy of separation of boys and girls for improved quality of education in the state.

The State Commissioner of Education Dr. Jamila Muhammad Dahiru disclosed this on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists after she interacted with the state lawmakers on the need for the ministry to revert the existing policies.

Dr. Jamila said the interaction centred on low school enrollment and high rate of school drop out across the state.

“We are interested in seeing the policies we have on education is working in the state which is why we are ready to review the separation of girls and boys policies”, the education Commissioner said.
She submitted that the state government would reconsider the policy of the separation of boys from girls taken to distance schools which contributed to out-of -school children in the state as mentioned by the lawmakers and other stakeholders in the state.

The Commissioner added that, the education ministry will continue engaging the state lawmakers in idea formalization and policy making process for effective and quality education.

“The reason why the increase in the budget allocation from 12% to 16% in education in this year alone is to revive that sense of belonging that each of an every member of the society has a responsibility to educate the children of Bauchi state”, she added.

On the alleged collection of multiple taxation from private schools owners and their non involvement in the ministry’s activities, Dr. Jamila said “the allegations is not true; the ministry has even recently engaged the union in the just concluded teacher training programme conducted by the state ministry of education and other educational activities”.

Responding to issue of external examinations payments to only SSS three students who passed mock exams, the Commissioner pointed out that the ministry would look into the possibility of extending the gesture to all the students writing their final year examination.

Also speaking, the Chairman Bauchi State House of Assembly committee on education Dr. Nasiru Ahmed Ala said the need for the ministry to revisit the existing policies cannot be over emphasized, adding that majority of parents could not sustain the economic burden the deboarding could cause.

He advised the ministry and policy makers as well as stakeholders to ensure that lawmakers participated in the policy and implementation of education activities for the benefit of all.

The out of school children in Nigeria is a challenge that demands both short term and long term measures to addressing the challenges.

Recall that the ‘Separation of boys from girls policy’ was proposed and implemented by former Commissioner of education to principally tame moral decadence among young students, but the policy despite not being widely accepted was implemented.

The out of school children in Nigeria is a major educational challenge and Bauchi is among if not the highest according to 2023 UNICEF report.