We have 544 pupils, 2 teachers, says Yobe headmaster

Despite several claims by the Yobe State government on investing heavily in education, in a bid to revive the sector, Daily Trust on Sunday has discovered a primary school in Ngelshengele village, in Fune Local Government Area with 544 pupils and two teachers. 

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In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, the headmaster of the school, Malam Sa’id Wakil, decried the lack of teachers in the school, saying it is one of the major challenges facing Ngelshengele Primary School. According to him, there are only two teachers in the school.  

“One teacher was transferred to our school, but we discovered that he is still a student in Gashua. In fact, I don’t even know him. If he comes here, however, we will increase in number,” he said.

Malam Sa’id went on, “Besides the lack of teachers, almost all the classes in this school require renovation. As you can see, they are all dilapidated,” he added.

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According to him, some classes were renovated by World Bank and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) funding. About N500,000 was raised to renovate some classes where the pupils take lessons presently. 

While commenting on one of their challenges and how they surmount it, the headmaster said during the rainy season, as soon as the clouds darken (before the rain comes down), they send the children home and then take their reading materials and some of their chairs to the house of the village head for safety so that the rain and wind will not destroy them.

He added that the situation has forced many children out of school. 

Responding, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in Yobe State, Dr Muhammad Sani Idrissa, said “Well, our government inherited the predicament of the education sector, especially with regards to the situation of the schools. We realized that at least 1,300 primary and secondary schools are in need of reforms. God so kind, in a very short period of time, we renovated at least 300 and we are hoping that in the nearest future, the remaining 1,000 schools will be in our ongoing renovation projects. Ngelshengele Primary School will be among them,” he said.

“People should know that we are doing our school renovation projects gradually, bearing in mind the numerous security challenges which the state faces, specifically Boko Haram insurgency,” he added.

On the shortage of teachers in the schools, the commissioner said the state government is aware of the issue, adding that government has a provision of employing over 2,000 teachers in collaboration with UNICEF, Save the Children, among many others.

He pledged that in no distance time, lack of teachers, dilapidated schools and equipment will become a thing of the past in Yobe State.