At least 10,000 pupils in Kwaya Kusar Local Government Area of Borno State have received free educational materials from the state government to support their education.
The Education Secretary of the council, Dr Salihu Ibrahim, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kwaya Kusar on Monday.
Ibrahim said the intervention was designed to support vulnerable children, improve school retention and increase the enrolment of out-of-school children.
He explained that the materials had been distributed to pupils across primary and junior secondary schools in the local government area.
According to him, the initiative has encouraged more parents to enrol their children in public schools, while educational campaigns have been intensified across villages, markets, farms and other locations to raise awareness about the importance of education.
“So far, the results are impressive, and we are keeping more children in schools while enrolling new pupils.
“We have distributed the educational materials as provided by the state government under the leadership of Gov. Babagana Zulum.
“The materials include uniforms, sandals, exercise books, pencils, pens, mathematical sets, sports kits, first aid boxes and school bags,” he said.
The education secretary added that the council had recorded more than 1,200 new enrolments since the current academic term began over a month ago.
He also said that, with support from the state government and the council chairman, Dahiru Hamma, some schools previously closed because of teacher shortages had reopened.
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“We currently have 78 primary and junior secondary schools in the council, with a population of 42,350 pupils and students. The numbers are increasing because we are passionate about our children and what they could become in the future if properly educated.
“We are strengthening monitoring to ensure that all our schools are functional and that teacher absenteeism is addressed in the interest of our children,” he said.
Ibrahim commended Zulum for prioritising education and investing resources in securing the future of children in Kwaya Kusar.
He urged parents to take advantage of the state government’s investment by enrolling their children in school.
“As it stands today, no child should be left at home or on the street when everything needed for him or her to be in school has been provided.
“Parents in Kwaya Kusar need to support the government by enrolling their children in school as a way of guaranteeing their future,” he said.
