BY JESSICA JOHN BAKARI
The Commissioner of Education and Human Capital Development, Doctor Umar Garba Pella, has emphasized the need for safety structures in every school across the state to ensure a conducive teaching and learning environment for all children.
Doctor Pella made this call during a planning and engagement meeting with stakeholders and advocates on conducting advocacy, sensitization, and forming safeguard teams in ninety-five schools across the twenty-one local governments.
The meeting was organized by the Global Partnership for Education, aimed at transforming the education system at the State level, held at the Nyako Centre State Secretariat.
The commissioner explained that the Fintiri-led administration is committed to ensuring school environments are safe for pupils, enabling smooth teaching and learning.
He urged advocates to enlighten and sensitize communities on the importance of taking ownership and ensuring safety in all schools.
Doctor Pella advised them to collaborate with traditional rulers and school-based management committee chairmen to achieve the program’s objectives.
Also, in his remark, the State Project Coordinator of Global Partnership for Education/transforming education system at the State level, Mr Michael Chinda Medugu, appreciated Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri’s unwavering support for the education sector.
Mr Medudu said the purpose of the meetings is to advocate and sensitize teachers and communities on the need for structural safety in schools and solicited traditional rulers’ support to educate their subjects on ensuring children’s safety from home to school and back.
Giving the overview and objectives of the meeting, the safeguard Officer of the project, Mr Aliyu Badamasi highlighted the safeguard targets to include the Provision of ramps on school buildings for inclusive education, the Formation of safety committees in all schools, comprising head teachers, school-based management committee chairmen, parents-teachers association chairmen, head girls, and head boys.
Stakeholders interviewed included Mr Adiel Vincent and Mrs Maryamu Ayuba, Gender Officer of the GPE/TESS project.