Sokoto Govt orders action over low student, teacher attendance

The Sokoto State Government has mandated urgent actions to tackle the issue of declining student and teacher attendance in numerous schools throughout the region. This directive was given by Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, during a press briefing held at the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute of Qur'an and General Studies in Sokoto.

This meeting was focused on the review of reports submitted by two teams of monitors who had visited schools across the state on the previous Wednesday, as part of a continuous supervision program. The compiled reports indicated that a significant number of schools were experiencing low student attendance, and there were instances where some Quality Assurance officers were absent during their scheduled visits.

This situation has emerged while the state continues to enforce limitations on school activities due to ongoing security concerns. Earlier reports indicated that most schools remained closed except those in Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Wamakko, Kware, and Dange-Shuni local government areas. In response to these findings, Ala instructed the Director of Quality Assurance, Muhammad Sani Usman, to swiftly implement measures aimed at boosting both student and teacher presence and ensure adherence to the supervision protocols.

Additionally, Ala directed the Director of Quality Assurance to collaborate with the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) on the implementation of a teachers' signing book. This tool would be used to monitor attendance and engagement during lessons throughout the school day.