Jigawa to engage mothers in school monitoring for better education

The Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board has announced plans to mobilise 16,000 mothers to participate in school monitoring, aiming to strengthen school safety and improve learning outcomes.
This was made known by the Executive Chairman of the Board, Professor Haruna Musa, while fielding questions from newsmen during the training of 57 gender officers from across the 27 local government areas of the state, held on Thursday in Dutse, the State capital.

According to Musa, the current administration under Governor Malam Umar Namadi has introduced an innovation to form mothers’ groups to expand community participation in school monitoring and ownership for better results.

The executive chairman stated that the board plans to have five mothers in each basic school who will be mentored and supported to take part in school monitoring.

“These mothers will focus on key areas, including ensuring children attend school with necessary learning materials,” he said.
Musa, therefore, explained further that the mothers will also assess whether learning has taken place by reviewing their children’s books when they return home from school.

Additionally, he said, “They (Mothers) will promote school enrollment within their communities to tackle the issue of out-of-school children.”

He added that another critical role for the mothers will be to monitor the safety of their children, protecting them from physical molestation or security challenges.
He also emphasised that the mothers will be champions in promoting education and safeguarding their children’s well-being.

However, the executive chairman revealed that over 3,600 mothers from pilot local governments have already been trained and mentored, saying that “the Board plans to scale up the initiative until such groups are formed in every basic school in the state.”
Speaking on the ongoing training, the SUBEB Boss explained that the training of Local Education Authority gender officers is aimed at building their capacity to support and work with these mothers’ groups effectively.

He then expressed optimism that women’s participation and community ownership in education will help address the high rate of out-of-school children and learning poverty.
“By engaging mothers in education, the Board hopes to improve learning outcomes and literacy levels in the state,” he revealed.

Also, the executive chairman called on the general public to support Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s efforts in revitalising the state’s education sector.

Musa emphasised the importance of making quality education available and accessible to every child in Jigawa State. “The government is committed to achieving this goal through initiatives like the mothers’ groups,” he said.

Accordingly, Musa hinted further that “the engagement of mothers in school monitoring is expected to have a positive impact on education in Jigawa State. By working together, the government and communities can improve learning outcomes and ensure a brighter future for the state’s children.”

Source: Punch