Kano school celebrates centenary

• produces 3 VCs, UN scribe

Shahuchi Primary School, Kano held its centenary celebration on Saturday, December 28, 2019.

Established in 1918, it is the first primary school run by the Native Authority in the then Kano Province.

According to Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Yakasai, Interim Chairman, Shahuchi Old Pupils Association (SOPA), the school was the first public school to teach western education in Kano.

“There were missionary schools here and there in parts of Lokoja, Kwara, Benue and maybe Zaria, but for the first time a public school was established here in Kano, teaching western education, that was Makarantar Dan’Hausa.

“But with the stabilization of colonial rule, there was the need for teachers, scribes and interpreters, hence the need for a school that would produce low-level officials, so Shahuchi was established,” he explained.

He also said then, the policy was that four graduates from elementary or primary schools were admitted into Katsina College while the remaining were converted into primary school teachers.

Alhaji Abubakar however said due to poor record keeping, the register of the pioneer pupils of the school was nowhere to be found. He said it was around 1962 that one of the headmasters, Alhaji Sule Ringim, began to keep good record of the pupils, a system which has been maintained till date.

He added that most of the pioneer graduates of Shahuchi were converted to high quality primary school teachers and ICs (In-Charges) who were head teachers.

“Some of the pioneer students, as we came to learn later, were the late Dankadai Muhammadu, and Alhaji Isma’ila, the father of Prof. Tijjani Isma’il.

Others were the late Dan Masanin Kano, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, late Madakin Kano, Alhaji Shehu Ahmad, late Madakin Kano, Alhaji Shehu Dan’barwa, late Muhammadu Gwarzo, the father of Sa’idu Gwarzo who was the Head of Service in Kano around 1979, late Engr Balarabe Isma’il, Malam Aliyu Daneji, a permanent secretary in Kano in 1968, Alhaji Ali Abdalla, father of the member, Police Service Commission, Hajiya Naja’atu Muhammad, and late Ambassador Magaji Yola, one-time Assistant Secretary General, United Nations.

Also among the old students were, Prof Sani Zahraddeen, former VC, Bayero University Kano and Grand Imam of Kano; Prof Batulu Mukhtar, VC, Federal University Dutse and Prof Mustapha Ahmad Isa, VC, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, were former pupils.

The school is said to have started with four classrooms – the remote class and then classes 1 to 3, but with the acceptance of western education, additional blocks of classrooms were built to accommodate pupils and teachers.

Malam Ahmad Chedi (Magajin Malam) was the first head teacher in 1919 but the school, which was under the Native Authority (NA), was supervised by white men to maintain standard.

A visit to the school showed it is in dire need of repairs as the facilities are crumbling due to age.

However, SOPA has offered support to the school including the donation of a computer lab and renovation of classrooms and offices.

Again, retired Major General Ibrahim Sani Yakasai, who was a pupil between 1968 and 1974, has provided it with 28 new computers and a projector, drilled a borehole, constructed toilets, and renovated and furnished some offices.

He said, “With good education, all social vices such as terrorism and drug abuse will be minimised amongst our youths.

“So, I believe what we did will inspire the students to make their contributions when it is their time, and will also inspire others to do same to their alma mater, with that we will be able to salvage our society.”

The Assistant Head Teacher, Hajiya Hadiza Bashir Yakasai, said there were 1,187 pupils in the primary section and 87 pupils for the Early Child Care unit.  The school, she said, has a computer lab, media technology centre, e-library and entrepreneurship centre.

Western education was introduced by colonial masters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries basically to train lower-level officials for government and the colonial businesses. That necessitated the introduction of schools, including Shahuchi Primary School, in Kano Municipal in 1918.