The Bauchi State government has dismissed reports claiming that it plans to abolish the separation of boys and girls in public secondary schools and return to a co-educational system.
Commissioner for Education, Hon. Abdulkadir Ibrahim, clarified the government’s position yesterday while briefing journalists in Bauchi on the impact of the recent windstorm that damaged several schools across the state.
He said his comments during an inspection tour of affected schools were misconstrued, stressing that he never announced a decision to merge male and female schools.
“I did not say that we are going to merge them. What I said is that we should weigh the positive and negative aspects of the policy of separating boys and girls in our state,” the Commissioner said.
According to him, the issue came up during the ministry’s assessment of rainstorm damage to schools, where officials also observed challenges affecting effective use of educational facilities.
He listed the affected schools as Government Secondary School Madara, Government Secondary School Hardawa, Government Secondary School Darazo, Government Girls’ Secondary School Tafawa Balewa, Government College General Hassan Usman Katsina, and Government Girls’ Secondary School Bauchi.
The Commissioner disclosed that four hostels at Government Girls’ Secondary School, Tafawa Balewa, were severely damaged, forcing the ministry to temporarily relocate students pending government intervention.
Speaking on the separation policy, Hon. Abdulkadir Ibrahim said ministry officials observed several newly constructed classrooms lying vacant during a visit to Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Bauchi.
He noted that the government had invested hundreds of millions of naira in constructing the classrooms, but some remained unused due to the existing school arrangement.
The Commissioner also expressed concern over the financial burden on parents, saying many now spend significant amounts transporting children to schools located far from their homes.
According to him, families living in communities such as Unguwar Gombe, Wambai and other parts of Bauchi metropolis often incur transportation and feeding costs of nearly N30,000 monthly because of the current school placement system.
Despite the concerns, he maintained that the government had not taken any decision to reverse the gender separation policy.
“If any review is to be made, it will only come after extensive consultations with parents, religious leaders, school managers and other stakeholders. We must carefully assess the gains and challenges of the policy before taking any decision,” he said.
Hon. Abdulkadir also rejected claims that co-education encourages moral decadence, insisting that parents remain primarily responsible for the moral upbringing of their children.
“It is not fair to blame co-education for immorality. Every parent has the responsibility of moulding the character of his or her children,” he said.
In the recent windstorm, the commissioner disclosed that assessment teams had been deployed to all affected schools to determine the extent of the damage.
He said a comprehensive report would be submitted to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed to facilitate prompt government intervention and ensure the quick restoration of teaching and learning.
Bauchi State introduced the policy of separating boys and girls in public secondary schools several years ago as part of efforts to align the education system with the state’s cultural and religious values.
