British High Commission in Abuja has expressed support for the free and compulsory primary and post primary education policy being introduced by the administration of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The Commission described the introduction of the policy as a welcome development, which is a declaration of the intention of the present administration in the state to beget a good legacy of a prosperous future for the people of the state.
“We commend you for the good initiative, aimed at taking care of children and their future, properly. Your decision to also organize special Summit for this initiative is a welcome development. It indicates seriousness of your administration,” Gill Atkinson, the British envoy to Nigeria, said when he received Governor Ganduje on a courtesy visit to the High Commission office in Abuja.
“Your Excellency, you really have good vision for education in your state. This is commendable. This and similar policies will surely put your state on high pedestal.
“We need more time with you Your Excellency for further discussions. For us to have good partnership in this and similar areas, we really need to work with government that is ready to work for people,” Atkinson said.
After assuring that they would want to support Kano on accelerated learning, they also wished to work in partnership with the state on teacher development programmes, and also on development and implementation policy.
Moved by the efforts of Ganduje administration, the high powered team that received the governor at the High Commission requested they would be glad to get more chances of meeting with the governor for more lengthy discussions.
He revealed further that, plan was in top gear to come up with a programme on education that was meant for three states only in the country. Kano, according to him, happens to be one of the three states intended for the programme.
Speaking in the same vein, said acting Head of DFID Nigeria, John Primrose. “We have two programmes that we want include Kano state. One for education and the other one on health. We want reform that could improve the quality of education, particularly primary education in this context. There is the need to do something radical to improve both the quantity and the quality of education.
They assured that they could and would boost the future of the educational environment in the state if they could partner with the state.
In his response governor Ganduje reveals that, for an effective and efficient implementation of free and compulsory primary and post-primary education, his administration organizes a special summit coming up in early September, for proffering best ways to implement the policy.
The summit, according to him, would bring together all state agencies responsible for education in the state. As well as other global agencies, like World Bank and other development partners.
He discloses that, “Parts of the reasons why he comes up with this policy of free and compulsory education, is that of genuine human development. It is known that without education there will be no development. So, the best legacy for any government is to improve quality of its education.”
Other reasons he gives are, his main concern for girl child education as one of the major reasons why his administration decides to make primary and post primary education free and compulsory.
“While embarking on free and compulsory education policy, we are determined to remodel Almajiri system of education,” he emphasized.
After disclosing to them his intention to take a Memo to Northern governors in his effort to find lasting solution to the Almajiri street begging, he assured that his effort would be fruitful and would also see the light of the day.
Those who received the governor at the High Commission included, the Acting High Commissioner, Gill Atkinson, Acting Head of DFID Nigeria, John Primrose, Head of Governance, Conflict and Social Development Team, Alex Stevens and Head Human Development Team, Janice Dolan, among others.
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