By Abbas Bamalli
Parents in Kwasarawa,and Tsadojo communities, in Sandamu Local Government Area of Katsina, have promised to support a campaign to return their children back to school.
The parents, other stakeholders and community leaders expressed their readiness to address the issue, during a separate back-to-school campaign in their communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign was organised by Save the Children International (SCI), with support from Cuppy Foundation.
NAN also reports that members of the children’s parliament addressed their rural mates and parents, towards inspiring the children and giving the parents confidence.
One of the mothers, Malama Harira Sandamu, promised to stop sending her children, especially the female child, hawking, instead, she would enroll them in school.
“Before this campaign, I had never known the importance of girl-child education. I am now fully convinced and impressed, especially by the way these pupils addressed us.
“I assured you, as from today, I’ll never allow my children to go hawking, they must go to school first. I want my children to also be like these young admiring students.”
Malam Ya’u Tukur, a former Education Secretary of the local government, described the efforts as highly commendable and urged the sponsors to keep the flag flying.
According to him, the series of interventions by the SCI in the communities had given parents more hope to enroll their children in school, unlike before.
He appealed to the community and religious leaders to also participate in sensitising their people and followers on the importance of education.
Also, Malam Jamilu Abdullahi, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Council’s Education Authority, assured to do everything possible to see that those enrolled, remain in school up to completion.
Malam Lawal Abubakar, the Chairman, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), in the area, narrated a story of a girl from a village, whom they enrolled in school.
“When I was a teacher in one of the villages, there was this girl we sponsored to go to school. The parents rejected, but we insisted, because we noticed she was brilliant.
“We succeeded in sponsoring her to school, and presently she’s a health worker attending to many women in her village, and the parents are now proud of that,” he said.
Mr Simon Maitala, Programme Officer, SCI, said that they have been supporting the community with teaching and learning materials, among other things and assured to continue with the support.
“SCI chose to organise the back-to-school campaign and rally at this moment because it’s a time when the children are preparing to resume from the holiday.
“We want the parents in this community to understand the importance of education, that’s why we have gathered them, their children and community leaders for sensitisation,” Maitala said.
According to him, the SCI intervention aims at encouraging school enrollment and completion.
NAN
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