Four Borno LGAs In Dire Need Of Learning Centres – SUBEB

April 21, (THEWILL)- Borno State government has bemoaned the problem of overcrowded classrooms of public schools, a situation which negatively impacts the quality of learning in four local government areas of the state.

The Chairman, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Bulama Kagu, made this known while hosting a delegation of the Save the Children, an international non-governmental organisation, led by its country Director, Mr Duncan Harvey.

Prof Kagu noted that due to exodus of surrendered ex-fighters and their families, as well as returnees, which has adversely affected the learning facilities in four LGAs including Kala-Balge, Nganzai, Mobbar and Ngala respectively.

“We need more support to tackle the out-of-school and overcrowding of pupils, help us construct temporary learning centers to decongest the current learning centres in some LGAs.

“If we can get temporary learning centres for these local government areas, we will be grateful.

“We need immediate interventions in these four LGAs, especially temporary learning centres to accommodate these schools children. In some schools, we have 150 pupils per class against 40 pupils per class, so the challenge is enormous and we need your urgent intervention”, he pleaded.

Prof Bulama explained that as state government is making efforts to close all displaced camps, it would compound the out-of-school, overcrowding and inadequate of classrooms in remote areas.

“We are appealing to the Save the Children to redouble your efforts to support us and you have every reason to tell your donors that Borno State deserve more interventions.

“We have so many out of schools children and overcrowding in these four LGAs which has been our major problem. They should be considered as people are going back the numbers kept going very high,” he worried.

He explained that the government is planning to close down and return all the IDPs to their ancestral homes, saying many of these communities lack classrooms and teachers.

Earlier, the SCI Country Director, Mr Duncan Harvey, reiterated its unwavering commitment to the provision of basic quality education to the children affected by the conflicts in the region, noting that education is the fundamental right of a child and SCI would continue support government to ensure children get accessed to learning.

“This is my first visit here, I am here to listen and learn from you. We can develop our partnership with you; I just to reassure you that we are strongly committed to the provision of basic education for the children, as Country Director I will make sure we invest and build on the success we have had”, he said.