By Rahilatu
Education is the foundation of any thriving society, yet millions of children around the world remain out of school, deprived of knowledge and skills needed to secure a better future.
This crisis is particularly severe in developing nations where poverty, conflict, and inadequate infrastructure creates barriers to formal education.
Without intervention, these children risk being left behind in an increasingly technology driven world. To break this cycle, it is necessary to harness the power of science and technology because the world has shifted towards a digital and knowledge based economy.
To achieve this, the Federal Government through the BESDA program has built new classrooms equipped with modern facilities in 17 BESDA focus states.
The BESDA program which stands for “Better Education Service Delivery for All is a World Bank funded project in Nigeria aimed at increasing equitable access to education for out of School Children.
In respect of the above, the Principal of Government Junior Secondary School Rigachikun in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Rukaiyyatu Zailani has lamented over lack of security personnel and trained teachers in her school.
According to her, the intervention was aimed at encouraging out of school children get enrolled into the schools as well as making them become dependent through the vocational courses.
“Bringing such project to us is really commendable, at least even if pupils drop out of school, they would have learnt one or two skills which they would hold on to in the future even if they do not get the opportunity to complete their education.”
While commending the Federal Government, the Universal Basic Education Commission for bringing such project to them, she decried shortage of basic teachers and that of the vocational subjects.
She said, however that she had been to Teachers Service Board and had written to them severally over the issue but there is no response from them.
The principal also lamented over the lack of security personnel around the school premises, “we have been experiencing theft within the school because the perimeter fence is not secured, in fact three out of the computers brought to us were stolen. This has forced us to move all facilities brought us out of the classrooms and had been taken to a safe place until we get vocational teachers before they will be taken back.”
In conclusion, the Basic Education Service Delivery for All BESDA and the Federal Government had done a tremendous Job for coming up with such project but more can be done.
The borehole, the phone repair workshop, the basic electricity workshop, the science Laboratories should have been connected to the solar instead of connecting only the computer room.
However, that would have solved the problems of chemical spoilage, shortage of water, and accessibility to the workshop rooms and the toilets would have been made easy for the pupils and the teachers.
The perimeter fencing should have been made putting the security of the property in mind.