In an effort to improve access to secondary education, the Kaduna State government has made significant strides to ensure students have safe and conducive learning environments. Recognizing challenges such as distance, safety, and inadequate learning spaces, the government has implemented various initiatives to boost enrollment, retention, and completion rates in secondary schools.
Acknowledging the importance of secondary education, the Kaduna State government has taken concrete steps to make it more accessible.
Recall that the Governor, Senator Uba Sani laid the foundation for the construction of 62 new Secondary schools in August of 2023 with some commissioned as of the 27th of May 2024 and others nearing completion. The new schools are being constructed to ease the burden of long-distance travel and security concerns for students transitioning from primary to junior secondary school, and from junior to senior secondary school.
The 62 new secondary schools are located across the state’s three senatorial zones. The schools include 39 junior secondary schools, designed to accommodate 23,400 students, and 23 senior secondary schools, intended for 16,560 students when completed. Each junior secondary school comprises 10 fully furnished classrooms and a block of 12 toilets. The senior secondary schools feature 12 fully furnished classrooms, a block of 12 toilets, a computer laboratory, three science laboratories, and a multi-purpose hall.
The junior secondary schools are constructed within existing basic education schools, aligning with the Federal Government’s nine-year basic education curriculum. This initiative aims to increase school capacity, reduce the teacher-student ratio, create a safer and more conducive learning environment, and consequently boost enrollment, retention, and completion rates.
Kaduna State’s commitment to education demonstrates the power of investment in human development. These initiatives of the Kaduna State government is being executed by the Ministry of Education’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) with the support of the World Bank.
