Disturbed by the attitude of children roaming the streets during lesson periods, the Kano state government has vowed to take punitive measures against parents of such pupils.
Particularly for children in public primary and secondary schools in Kano, the state ministry of education insisted that henceforth, the act of lateness and absenteeism would no longer be tolerated.
Speaking at a one-day stakeholder’s engagement with parents and women on the significance of girl child education in Kano, the state Commissioner for Education, Umar Doguwa wanted parents to complement government investment in education by ensuring child punctuality in school.
The Commissioner pointed out that despite the abysmal state of infrastructure and poor human capacity inherited from the previous government, the NNPP administration has revamped the ailing situation within the space of eight months.
Doguwa lamented that the government is however demoralized by the dwindling response of parents who on the one hand refused to enroll their children and those who brought their wards but were overwhelmed with needless labour.
The Commissioner threatened that government will be forced to invite parents whose children keep resuming late to schools for caution and need improvement. He said the government will not hesitate to sanction any child and parents consistently found endemic in the act.
” The state government has made education free in the state just as it has provided means of transportation to transport the children to school among other things. Hence the a need for parents to complement government efforts by sending their wards to school.
“When we came on board, we met the education sector in a pathetic situation, we have 5.3 million students in the state, and we met about 4.5 students sitting on the floor without chairs and teaching materials.
“The previous administration shut down 28 boarding schools. We have over 32,000 students in those schools, after the closure, we now have about 9,000 students in boarding schools. Most of them are now in day schools.
“So if the government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf allocated 29.7 percent of budget to education, promised to pay salary on time, repair about 70 high capacity vehicles to transport the children to school, we monitor the conduct of the teachers, what about children who don’t go to school and the parents whose role it is to send their wards to school?
“So the component that is remaining now is the student aspect which we decided to reach out to the parents to know the importance of education, their commitment to allow their children to be in school in good time.
On her part, the Secretary, High-Level Women Association, HILWA, Hajia Ladidi Fagge, said the closure of the boarding schools is the genesis of school dropout of girls in the state as they now engaged in the street hawking among others.
She blamed the parents for overwhelming their children with domestic and commercial activities during the period when they were supposed to join their mates in the classroom.
Fagge however solicited the support of the parents especially women to compliment the government’s efforts by ensuring their children go to school, transit, complete their academic pursuits and attain their full potential in life.