The Katsina State Government has unveiled a new education policy guideline targeted at regulating private and community schools across the 34 local government areas in the state.
It stated that the new policy guideline will help reform the educational sector, with the conviction that education is the cornerstone of progress.
The education commissioner, Zainab Musa-Musawa, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ town hall meeting made up of proprietors of schools in Katsina on Monday.
Musa-Musawa stated that private and community schools across the state play a pivotal role in shaping the future of children, saying we have to monitor their activities to ensure they uphold standards.
The commissioner told the proprietors that their presence underscores the commitment to advancing an inclusive educational reform that aims to improve the overall quality of education in the state.
“The new operational guideline has been carefully drafted to strengthen the operations of private and community schools while fostering collaboration with the state government to meet the educational needs of every child.
“It is also aimed at creating a transparent, efficient, and inclusive framework for school operations”.
She added that the document was designed not to burden the proprietors but to empower them to deliver quality education that prepares the children for a competitive world.
“The approval process is transparent and free from undue influence. Furthermore, reinvented community engagement, especially for community schools, must demonstrate a long-term development plan that involves local stakeholders, ensuring schools serve as hubs for community welfare.
“This guideline is not static. We are committed to transparency and stakeholder engagement. Hence, the document is a draft and will be shared with you to foster collaboration and evidence-based improvements,” she explained.
Musa-Musawa noted that feedback from the proprietors was vital to refining the policies and urged all private and community schools to embrace it fully.
“Register for approval processes, invest in teacher training, and prioritise students’ welfare. The ministry is here to support you with resources, training, and partnership,” she said.
A representative of private school proprietors, Mukhtar Jibiya, commended the state government for the meeting, stating that the proprietors are the second-largest employers of labour in the state after the government.
He said that private school owners have recruited over 30,000 employees across more than 1,500 schools, contributing to a reduction in out-of-school children across the state.
Additionally, the representative of the community school proprietors, Dikko Aliyu, stated that they have been planning to meet with the commissioner to discuss the issues.
