Our school has only 3 teachers for 350 students, Bauchi community laments

The Gabchyari community in Darazo LGA, Bauchi state has lamented the lack of sufficient teachers in the only primary and junior secondary school (JSS) in the area. 

Speaking with NAN on Monday, some residents of the community said the school has only three teachers for 350 students.

This, according to the residents, has contributed to the high number of out-of-school children in the area.

Isa Ibrahim, one of the residents, said the dearth of teachers has also discouraged many parents from sending their children to school.

“We want the government to help us get more teachers here, teachers are very important and needed in this school,” he said.

Abdullahi Muhammad, a teacher at the school, said the facility has only two teachers for the JSS classes and one for the primary school section.

“We have one teacher who doubles as the headteacher with more than 200 pupils in the primary school and 150 JSS students,” he said.

“Most times, I and my partner in the JSS assist by teaching in the primary classes. We go there to do our best.”

Opeyemi Olagunju, the state spokesperson for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said the organisation has identified the community as one of the hard-to-reach areas in the state.

He added that the community urgently needs more teachers and conducive classrooms for learning as well as safe drinking water.

Reacting to the development, Abdullahi Muhammad, the Bauchi state Universal Basic Education Board spokesperson, said posting of teachers is the responsibility of local governments’ education secretaries.

He, however, said there are ongoing efforts by Bala Mohammed, the governor, to address the dearth of teachers in the state.