By: Monday Danladi , Bauchi
It has been observed that the stoppage of the Federal Government home grown school feeding system has negatively affected schools enrollment and attendance in Katagum LGA of Bauchi State.
The disclosure was made by the Education Secretary of Katagum Local Government Education Authority, Adamu Alhaji Mohammed while fielding questions from Journalists in Azare on Monday during a step down training on safe schools in the area.
The ES urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency reintroduce the home grown school feeding system in order to boost enrollment of children particularly in the rural areas.
According to him, “Since the stoppage of the system, schools enrollment in the LGA has dropped drastically to between 40 and 45 percent. The children have stopped going to schools while new ones have refused to be enrolled.”
He added that, “Before the system was stopped, we witnessed 90 percent enrollment and attendance in all of the schools as parents were eager to send their children to schools just as the children were eager to go to the schools knowing that they will be fed.”
The ES stressed the importance of motivation in achieving education for all because according to him,”In this part of the world, people needed to be motivated to go to schools.”
Another area he wants government to prioritize is the issue of conditional cash transfer which he said will motive parents to send their wards to schools.
He opined that because most of the parents are using their children to earn a living through hawking and other petty trading, conditional cash transfer will serve as an incentive for them.
Adamu Alh Mohammed assured that his office is doing everything possible to ensure that the parents were sensitized on the need to send their children and wards to schools for a better future and society.