MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Hon. Hon. Commissioner Malam Suleiman Lawal Kauru

Education: Gov Arch Namadi Sambo's vision for a compulsory and free primary education has already taken roots, making far-reaching impact in the state. Kaduna State again enjoys the leading position in educational development in the entire region north of the Niger-Benue valley. Prior to the acceptance and liberalization of formal Western education by the government of the Northern Region, the efforts of Voluntary Agencies in establishing schools at both primary and secondary levels, gave the present Kaduna State an enviable advantage of early educational infrastructure establishment.

About a third of that end up in the estimated sixty-eight of Secondary Schools (Federal and State i.e. Government owned and private/voluntary agencies) with large average enrolments of between 300 a and 500. Enrolments in some large schools in Zaria and Kaduna urban areas go up to between 2,000 re and 4,000 each, respectively.

There is a wide is range of tertiary institutions established to produce high skilled manpower needed by the state. Twelve of out of seventeen are located in Zaria and include the Ahmadu Bello University complex, Federal College of Education, Kaduna State College of Advanced Studies, State Polytechnic, which is now City University, College of  Aviation Technology, National Institute for Chemical  Research and Technology (all in Zaria); Command and Staff College at Jaji, and a Federal Polytechnic, Federal School of Forestry, National Water Resources Institute, and a College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Kaduna.

The administration also felt that there was need to restructure the management post primary schools in particular to  bring about educational development and the new administration appointed a committee of re-known educationist to recommend measures to address the management problems of the educational system Government policy thrust on education was the involvement of all stakeholders in the educational development in the state.

The committee successfully completed its assignment and recommend for the establishment  of a Science Management Boards for thirteen schools , the conversion of zonal education offices into inspectorate , the amendment of the Teacher Service Board Law to give the Board greater power to act and the gradual re-boarding of some post primary institutions.

During the period under review the ministry has carried out renovation rehabilitation of classrooms, Laboratories, Workshops, Staff quarters etc, while new classroom workshop, laboratories , dormitories and administrative blocks have also been constructed especially in the newly established  secondary schools. These projects cost government a total sum of over N520,000,000.00. At the primary school level the sum N170,000,000.00 has been committed as state contribution to several development projects. Two tertiary institutions namely College of Education and Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic Zaria have also benefited from the development drive the state involving the total sum of N300,000,000.00 which was expended to improve facilities in the two institutions.

To reduce the hardship of students, the present administration reviewed upwards by 100% their scholarship allowances with a view to encourage better performance in schools and the number of awards increased from 2000-4000 while overseas scholarship which have been stopped for about 20 years was re-introduced.

Over 6000 teachers to the ranks of Directors on Salary scale GL 16 and nearly 200 to Deputy Directors on GL15. The government also graciously approved the recruitment of 1000 teachers to reduce the acute shortage of teachers. The budgetary provisions for education from 1999 to date stands at N8.868 billion.

Kaduna State is endowed with a wide range of natural resources which are awaiting development/investment on large commercial scale. The natural resource potentials are grouped into agriculture/forestry and livestock, and minerals. The education system in the state under Namadi Sambo is doing everything necessary to harness the potentials of training and education on these areas of importance for the state, and in the area of eGovernance.

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