The Kaduna Government on Wednesday began the distribution 120,552 free uniforms worth N441 million to students in junior and senior secondary schools in the state.
Dr Hadiza Balarabe, Deputy Governor of the state who inaugurated the distribution exercise in Kaduna, said that each student in public school would receive a pair of uniforms.
According to her, the effort is in line with Gov. Nasir el-Rufai administration’s promise to make basic and post-basic education free and accessible for all children of school age.
“Since 2015, we have ensured the provision of uniforms and books to primary and secondary schools and freed parents from any financial burden to equalize access to basic primary and secondary education.
“This is in addition to huge investments to build classrooms and other educational infrastructure in many of our schools.
“It has become imperative for us to ensure that every child in the state has access to decent education and acquire some form of skills to live productive lives.
“This will help to tackle poverty, improve livelihood and ensure sustainable growth and development in line with the goal of our human capital development policies and programmes,’’ she said.
Balarabe said government would sustain its commitment and accelerate efforts to address infrastructure deficits and broken facilities in public schools.
She added that the state government would also continue to supply teaching and learning materials, free uniforms, and ICT tools to pupils and students in all schools.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Education, Dr Shehu Muhammad, said that the distribution was under the 2020 academic year, which could not be done in because of COVID-19.
Muhammad said that the efforts would improve school enrolment, retention and graduation as the process to produce uniforms for the 2021 academic year has begun and would be distributed within the year.
He explained that production of the uniforms was being done at the school levels, adding that the principals were mandated to source the tailors from the school community.
One of the students, Gloria Bako of Government Girls Secondary School Kawo, thanked the state government for the free uniforms and the free education policy being implemented in the state. (NAN)
