Yobe stakeholders hail Buni over day secondary schools

Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni

Stakeholders, educationists, and Students of Government Girls’ Day Secondary School in Yobe State have commended Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration for establishing day secondary schools for girls, saying the initiative has given them the opportunity to continue their education without leaving their families.

The students, who spoke in an exclusive interview with Arewa PUNCH, said the establishment of the schools had addressed a major challenge faced by girls who completed their Junior Secondary School education but could not proceed to senior secondary school because their parents were unwilling to send them to boarding schools.

‎According to the students, before the establishment of the senior day secondary schools by the Buni administration, some girls were forced to discontinue their education after completing their JSS classes, with early marriage becoming one of the options available to them.

‎A student of Government Day Girls Secondary School in Damaturu, the state capital, Amina Muhammad, said the absence of suitable day secondary schools had previously left many girls in a difficult situation.

‎“Many of us would have got married because our parents could not allow us to go to boarding schools,” Muhammad said.

‎She explained that some parents were not comfortable sending their daughters away from home to attend boarding schools, making it difficult for such girls to continue their education after junior secondary school.

‎According to her, the establishment of a day secondary school provided an alternative for girls whose parents wanted them to remain at home while pursuing their education.

‎Another student, Maryam Ibrahim, said the arrangement had also made it possible for students to combine schooling with their responsibilities at home.

‎“The school is also allowing us to help our parents at home,” Ibrahim said.

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‎She noted that attending a day school meant that students could return home after classes and remain available to assist their parents with household responsibilities.

‎The students said the schools had created an avenue for girls to progress to senior secondary education without having to relocate or depend on boarding-school arrangements.

Mohammed Isa, a teacher at Government Day Secondary School, Ngelzarma, said the establishment of schools has helped reduce the number of out-of-school children.

“The establishment of these schools has helped reduce the number of children who are out of school, as more children now have access to education,” he said.

Similarly, Mohammed Mato, a civil servant, said the establishment of girls’ day schools has reduced the burden of paying private school fees.

“We no longer have to take our children to private schools because the establishment of girls’ day schools has made education more accessible and affordable,” he said.

Arewa PUNCH recalls that the Buni administration established six government girls’ day secondary schools across Yobe State as part of efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children and address the challenge of early marriage.

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‎The establishment of the schools provides girls who have completed junior secondary education with access to senior secondary education within a day-school arrangement.