The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from Mobilizing for Development (M4D) has since September, 2015 been implementing a project entitled: ‘’Strengthen Local CBOs and Informal Institutions for Improved Access and Quality of Education’’ in some selected Local Governments of Kano State. The aim of the project is to improve access to and quality of basic education in the Dawakin Tofa, Sumaila and Garin malam Local Governments of Kano State.

Having carried out research, conducted advocacy and enlighten the Community Based Organizations, traditional leaders and the teeming local populace in the three local governments for six months, CITAD decides to hold a Public Policy Dialogue with respective relevant stakeholders in attendance, the idea is to further generate vital observations and recommendations in order to develop a roadmap for basic education as regards the finding and experiences of the three local governments. The event took place on 15th March, 2016 at Murtala Muhammed Library in Kano, Kano state. Below are observations, challenges and recommendations generated during the event. This communiqué hereby appeal to the concerned bodies to urgently take the necessary actions in order to salvage poor state of basic education so that the future of our younger ones will be bright.  

Observations

• Education needs collective support
• The southern states have gone far in establishing community schools, the north should the same and in order to fully support the education sector
• PTA and SBMC should join hands and do more to rescue the decay in the education sector
• Basic education is fundamental and lacking it invites social vices
• Resolutions of the conference should be extended to the government, media, concerned bodies and the general public, that will help salvage the poor state of education
• The Nigerian standard of Teacher-Pupil ratio is one teacher to thirty four (34) pupils, the study found varying degrees of alarming ratios e.g 1-73 as against 1-34

• Three (3) local governments were selected for the study out forty four (44) LGs in Kano state, empirically the study ought to fully state that.
• Are the findings applicable in all the local governments of Kano state, are there differences and why.
• There needs to be reasons for enrolment rise and fall in order to back the data up.
• In all the local governments, the out of school children are higher than those in schools, the study should give reason for that as well.
• Teacher-pupil ratio helps ensure quality of education, the teacher can easily asses the students, interacts with them, supervise their homework, therefore teacher-pupil ratio is vital to education sector. How does the sampling goes and why. The study has found out 1-73 teacher-pupil ratio as against the official Nigerian standard of 1-34.
• Poor state of infrastructure as found out by the study is also a major setback to education and unless necessary action is taken, the sector will witnessing backwardness
• The world has advanced greatly in terms education and we are left behind
• Any country that abandons education  sector will surely become slave among peers
• Population should not be an excuse, because primary schools pupils in China are more than the Nigerian population yet they are provided with equipments to carryout experiment. The Chinese are what they are because of education, they produce and manufacture everything because they have education

Challenges:

• Some pupils use mud blocks as desks to take lessons
• Some parents could not give their pupils five naira break stipend
• Fifty (50%) of teachers are not qualified which result in producing poor students
• Some schools completely don’t function when it rains
• Many teachers do obtain/buy fake certificates from educational institutions
• Teachers unions are not supportive of government in terms of ensuring quality teachers because there was an incident when the government planned to conduct examination in order to sieve unqualified teachers but the union objected the move
• Lack of many female teachers
• The northwest was rated zero in education at a conference in Abuja last week (Prof. Diso)
• Kano state SUBEB has more than 6000 schools and pay over N2bn monthly salary

Recommendations:

• The society must fully support the education sector as well as move from holding conferences to implementing the resolutions of the conferences.
• SUBEB needs to be organizing workshop to PTA/SBMC in order to enlighten and educate them on what is expected of them so that the sector will move forward.
• Community leaders should pay regular courtesy visits to the wealthy and others that are willing to assist and solicit their intervention in the education sector
• Government should create a joint account and provide autonomy on resources disbursement and the community must be watchful of how funds are spent.
• The school curriculum should be reviewed to suit the changing needs and situations.
• SUBEB must support the community groups and volunteers with structures, facilities and manpower where necessary.
• Remuneration, promotion, annual increment and general welfare of teachers ought to be seriously looked at.
• Ministry for local government affairs must be engaged in order to tackle problems from the grass root.
• CITAD should expand their effort by engaging more development partners.
• Reposition the thinking and mindset of the society, government, educational bodies and everybody in the society.
• Overhaul the education sector and make it a participatory activity.
• Basic education should be made free and compulsory for all.
• Educational agencies must be accountable to the resources they are allocated.

Key Recommendations to the Government:

• Government must ensure quality and welfare of teachers; enact law to punish parents who stop their children from going to school.
• The government must equally cooperate, strengthen and work with relevant development partners on education.
• It must also involve traditional leaders and community groups to help manage education at the grass root level.
• Local government chairmen must also liaise with the community for annual budget and estimate on education.