By Philip Yatai

Dr. Ibrahim Danmaraya, Education Secretary, Chikkun Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), Kaduna State, has said that steps had been taken to check teachers’ truancy and nonchalant attitude to duty in the area.

Danmaraya said in Kaduna on Thursday, that teachers’ truancy and lukewarm attitude to duty was greatly affecting the learning outcomes of primary school pupils.

He said that Chikkun LGEA had commence unscheduled visit to primary schools within the Local Government Area (LGA) to track teachers who were not on their duty post for sanction.

According to him, effective monitoring and supervision is the only way to keep every teacher on his or her toes to provide quality teaching to pupils and lay a good foundation for their educational development.

“One of the serious challenges affecting basic education in Chikkun LGA when I assumed office as education secretary was teacher absenteeism.

“Government cannot continue to train teachers, provide the necessary facilities and instructional materials only for the teachers to stay at home for whatever reason.

“We decided that it is not going to be business as usual and we have been visiting schools and we will continue to do so to see who and who is on seat and who is not on seat.

“Not only that, we want to also see what the teachers are doing in their various classes and whether or not the pupils are learning,” Danmaraya said.

He also said that LGEA had partnered with a number of Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in primary schools in the area.

He identified one of the NGOs as Oando Foundation, which had constructed classrooms, trained teachers, provided water facility, generator and solar-powered computer laboratory to one of the primary schools in the LGA.

“There is also Hope for the Village Child and other NGOs who have been supporting us with instructional materials for effective teaching and learning.

“We have been getting assistance from the state government, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, the LGA, NGOs and individuals.

“We will continue to collaborate with NGOs, individuals and relevant stakeholders to promote investment in basic education because education for all is the responsibility of all,” Danmaraya said.

The education secretary further said that the relationship between the LGEA, the community and the management of the local government area had been strengthened for all to be on the same page.

He also said that he had recently organised a Public Lecture on the state of basic education in the LGA and garnered support for the Nasir El-Rufai-led administration’s transformation agenda in the education sector.

“The goal is to let people know what government has been doing and how stakeholders can key in to support the government in providing quality education for the younger generations.

“And the step is beginning to yield the desired result as many people in the area and beyond are now interested in what is happening in our primary schools and are expressing willingness to assist where necessary,” he said.