Safe School: Group Urges Gombe Govt to Rehabilitate School Infrastructure
From Hajara Usman
Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in Gombe have urged the state government to rehabilitate dilapidated school structures to prevent building collapses.
Malam Adamu Aliyu, a representative of the group, highlighted this need during the State Level Sensitisation on the implementation of the Safe School Declaration in Deba, Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of the state.
Aliyu emphasized the urgency of this call to ensure the safety of school environments, particularly in rural areas. He noted that Gombe, although peaceful, scored only 13 percent in infrastructure assessment, indicating a significant need for improvement, especially in rural communities where structures are weaker compared to urban areas.
“At Central Primary School, Deba, there are cracks in some buildings and damaged floors. Intruders are entering the school because it is not secure,” he said.
Aliyu noted that while the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) had conducted minor repairs, there are needs beyond their capacity, such as perimeter fencing and round-the-clock security personnel.
“We are calling on the government to invest more in school infrastructure at the rural level,” he urged.
Our correspondent reports that the Gombe government, in collaboration with UNICEF, is implementing safe school intervention programs designed to secure schools from violence and other threats, providing a safe teaching and learning environment.
Meanwhile, the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has inaugurated SBMCs in 70 schools across the state. The committee’s mandate includes identifying gaps and early warning signs of threats.
Mr. Abduraham Ibrahim, Education Specialist at UNICEF, stressed the importance of stakeholders adhering to the principles of the Safe School Initiative to build children’s confidence in learning. He noted that the UN agency had trained teachers on the initiative, exposing them to necessary security measures and conduct guidelines for teachers and students.
Mrs. Hajara Hassan, Head Teacher at Zangoma Kyari Primary School in Kwami LGA, requested perimeter fencing, toilets, classrooms, and water facilities, noting that these were the highest risks faced by the children. She recounted an incident where a cow entered the school premises and injured a pupil.
“There are 374 pupils in the school with only four classrooms. We only got these classes renovated by Gov. Inuwa Yahaya.
“This is rainy season, but during dry season or when school feeding programme is on, we find it difficult teaching them as we take some of them under tree shade. We got up to 200 additional pupils with only four teachers including me,” she said.
On his part, Nasiru Abubakar, Head Teacher, Doho Science Pilot Primary School, Kwami, identified gender based violence and corporal punishment as one of the issues inhibiting safe learning environment in the school.
He said that such experience negatively affected the learning process.
