CHILDREN’S DAY

Ecstatic local pupils savour a foretaste experience of their new mega primary school in a children’s day surprise

It was a unique and sentimental milestone when the 2021 children’s day diverged from the playground to the classroom as pupils and teachers of Maraban-jos primary school descended on their new mega school campus for a symbolic mock opening session with the Wife of the Governor of Kaduna state Hajia Ummi el Ruffai.

Speaking to newsmen, Fifth Chukker founder Adamu Atta who curated the event recounted: “About 15 years ago I was approached by the school to help them build a fence to stem the nuisance of increasing encroachment and insecurity. When I went to inspect the school I decided to adopt it as part of our social responsibility to the community.We then created a partnership with Access Bank and UNICEF and immediately mobilized to not only fence the premises but go further and address the immediate infrastructural needs of the school. So we went on to refurbish the classrooms, provide furniture, build new computer laboratory and toilet facilities. To ensure that the curriculum is adequately imparted we also sponsored the headmaster and teaching staff to several capacity development clinics.”

The comprehensive upgrade inevitably attracted many more pupils from far and near to the school swelling the population from 500 to 7000 in no time. By 2019 when we visited again we discovered that even the upgraded facilities had become grossly inadequate so we decided to build a brand new school for up to 12,000 pupils.”

Now we are in the process of developing an e-learning platform so pupils can be instructed by their teachers remotely and not miss out on anything the physical class is conditioned to offer.” The Kaduna state Education commissioner Dr, Shehu Othman Mohammed commented: “We proudly commend Atta for this monstrous project and for its implication for the educational and social outcomes in the communities around here.”

Wife of the state governor Ummi el Rufai gushed: “This is a wake-upcall project which portends great future for Kaduna state if it could be emulated to certain degree in every local government area.”

The traditional ruler of Maraban - Jos also presented Atta with the community’s highest award to round off the event.

THE GIRL-CHILD ASCENDANCY

The pictures here show there are clearly many more girls than boys in the Maraban - Jos primary school, busting long-held axiom by sociologists and educationists that culture and religion were the major factors for the low enrolment of girls in Northern Nigeria primary schools. Perhaps more clinical research is needed to determine if the Fifth Chukker model of “maximum standard” ultimately makes schooling much more attractive for the girl-child and her family.

The future certainly looks brighter in the Maraban - Jos community and surrounds where the girls will hopefully further their education, join the labour force and go on to contribute to nation-building by making profound impact in such stress areas as poverty reduction, family health and nutrition, as well as lower fertility and infant mortality rates.