THE Kaduna State government says it has commenced the disbursement of N3.3 billion 2018 female teachers and girl-child scholarship, and schools development grant to beneficiaries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the amount is part of the 21,568 million US dollars World Bank grant being disbursed under Global Partnership for Education/Nigerian Partnership for Education Project.

Speaking at the disbursement ceremony in Kaduna, Gov. Malam Nasir El-Rufai explained that the intervention was aimed at improving access to quality basic education by the girl-child and almajiris.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Malam Mohammed Saidu, the governor, said that no fewer than 20,000 primary one to primary three female pupils across the state would each get N45,000 under the girl-child scholarship.

El-Rufai added that 1,537 female teachers would also receive N45,000 each amounting to N69.1 million under the female-teacher- scholarship scheme.

On schools development, El-Rufai said that N2.3 billion would be disbursed to 5,000 public primary, nursery and Islamiyya / schools to improve school infrastructure under school improvement grant.

The governor thanked the World Bank and other development partners for the support, saying “the state government is making every effort to transform the education sector.”

He charged teachers to take their profession seriously and support government’s effort in providing quality education in the state.

Malam Nasiru Umar, Executive Chairman, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, assured the donor partners that the state government would monitor the implementation of the grant.

Umar said that the government was not only improving infrastructure but improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools across the state.

He disclosed that the board had produced and distributed over 44,310 copies of lesson plan and 15,000 Teachers Guide to teachers in the state, adding that 525,788 text books on core subjects were also distributed to schools.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Malam Ja’afar Sani, said that the support would augment the state government’s efforts at increasing access to quality education in the state.

Sani said that the ministry had been implementing reforms in the education sector to ensure quality education delivery system.

According to him, the World Bank support will accelerate the drive towards removing all impediments to quality education, particularly for the girl-child.

GPE/NIPEP, Task Team Leader, Dr Adekola Olatunde, commended the Kaduna State Government for its efforts at transforming the education sector.

Olatunde noted that it was important to bring a child to school but more imperative that the child stayed back in school and learn.

He also identified teacher professional development as key in ensuring that teachers’ potentials were fully exploited for the benefit of the pupils.

He reiterated the continued support of development partners to ensure that no child was left behind in accessing quality education.

One of the benefiting teachers, Fadila Madaki, thanked the government for the support, saying “it will go a long way in improving my capacity as a classroom teacher.’’

Another beneficiary, nine year-old Cynthia Isah of Primary School Unguwan Mua’zu, said that the support would enable her remain in school and concentrate well.

NAN reports that a total of N2.4 billion was disbursed to 2,532 schools, 1,048 female teachers and 8,050 school girls under the project in 2017.

-NAN

BE

– Nov. 21, 2018 @ 15:15 GMT |