Teacher Shortages Plague Jigawa Schools as Communities Seek Assistance
From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
Urgent pleas for intervention echoed through Jigawa communities residing in Babura local government areas as they sounded the alarm about the unsafe future facing their younger generation due to a severe shortage of teachers.
These concerns were voiced during a town hall meeting convened with key stakeholders to discuss partnership strategies for Defined Quality Scorecard in Babura local government. The meeting, organized by PLANE and Save the Children International with support from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), took place at the Auditorium of the School of Nursing, Babura, on Tuesday.
Members of the affected communities, including Lamintani, Masko, Dorowa, Insharuwa, and Gari Uku, all situated within Babura local government, lamented the critical shortage of teachers posing a threat to the schools in their vicinity.
Representatives from Lamintani community highlighted their challenges, revealing that their single primary school with over five hundred pupils is served by only one teacher, who is also nearing retirement. Similarly, Masko primary school, accommodating five hundred and thirty-one pupils, struggles with a sole teacher on the brink of retirement, according to residents.
Gari Uku primary school, also in Babura local government, manages over three hundred and forty pupils with just one teacher, while Insharuwa primary school, with five hundred and fifty students, relies on two teachers. Dorowa primary school, blessed with three teachers, serves two hundred and ninety-five pupils.
Teachers, burdened with overwhelming responsibilities, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, admitting to managing all subjects with limited resources and occasional support from community volunteers.
In addition to teacher shortages, participants highlighted challenges such as inadequate classrooms, teaching and learning materials, water scarcity, and insufficient parental support.
Responding to the appeals, Professor Haruna Musa, Executive Chairman of Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), represented by SUBEB Permanent Member I, Malam Nuhu Muhammad Babura, acknowledged the teacher shortage crisis and assured that the state government is actively addressing the issue through the recruitment of more teachers via the J-teach program.
Similarly, the Babura local government chairman, represented by his vice, Alhaji Ahmed Abdulhamid, urged patience as the administration undertakes school renovation projects.
Alfred Patience, Social Behavior Change/Community Mobilization Officer of Save the Children International, underscored the organization’s efforts in providing catch-up classes for 240 children and literacy and numeracy boost for 90 children under the Defined Quality Scorecard partnership. The stakeholders’ meeting aimed to address challenges before pupils are enrolled in various primary schools within their respective areas.
