A research by Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation has revealed why the North is backward in education.
At the presentation on Thursday, the research group headed by former Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, said states in the region failed to prioritize education.
Factors identified are lack of incentives, poor infrastructure, insecurity, inadequate classrooms, playgrounds, computer laboratory.
Others are inadequate libraries, information services, laboratories, textbooks, audiovisual facilities, internet connectivity, poverty and early marriage.
Rufai noted that the North is not lacking quality teachers as 70 percent of teachers have National Certificate of Education (NCE).
The team leader disclosed that the report covers all the 419 local governments in the 19 Northern states and FCT.
“Key findings are financial conditions of parents to cater for their children’s education, early marriage; incentive to promote access to education didn’t get to most parents. Majority have not benefited from school feeding.
“Challenge of girl child education is critical to the region, integration of Qur’anic education into basic education are some of the challenges facing education”, NAN quoted her as saying.
Northern States Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, said the research should be presented to the forum for implementation of the recommendations.
Lalong, represented by Secretary to the State Government, Danladi Abdul said: “The challenges and recommendations are taken but we need lots of advocacy to get the political will among our colleagues.
“We will convene a meeting of the Northern States Governors Forum, so the lead researcher could present an executive summary to the governors to enable us to work on it.”
