Jigawa school for the blind abandoned, official says students prefer begging

Posted by FN Editor | 5 years ago | 1,510 times



The Jigawa State school for the blind has become virtually unattended with an official suggesting visually impaired children prefer begging to school.

The school was founded in 2013 to cater for blind children across the state.

The boarding school, located at Limawa community in Dutse Local Government Area, is for the enrollment of blind children for basic-level education.

The school, located in the state capital Dutse, has 66 pupils formally registered, said the vice-principal, Husseini Mahmud. However, the official added that only 10 pupils who reside nearby appear for schooling.

Mr Mahmud said currently there are four students at the junior secondary section, while there are six pupils at the primary section.

In Nigeria’s public education system, junior secondary and primary schools form basic education. The junior secondary school students will move to the senior section after they finish their junior secondary, said Mr Mahmud.

Explaining the reason for low attendance, the director of works at the state basic education board, Alhassan Marke, said, “Probably because of the lucrative nature of begging in our society, or because an educated blind man has not been a model in the society. I doubt if there are ten blind people working in Jigawa State.

“The major challenge for the school of the blind is enrolment. We’re doing our best, we will not relent in our efforts. Some of the blind people see the school as alien. Most of them see themselves as people destined to beg for survival.”

He lamented the development, despite “a concerted effort by the state government and critical stakeholders being put in place to enlighten the blind about the existence and imperative of the school in the state.”

However, the school’s vice principal, Mr Mahmud, told reporters that although the school is a boarding school, there is no provision for feeding the students.

 

 

This may have discouraged the target children from attending, he said.

 

 


Source: Premium Times

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