Zamfara makes Agriculture compulsory subject in secondary schools

The Zamfara State Government has directed all Secondary Schools in the state to include Agricultural Science-based subjects in their curriculum.

The State Commissioner of Education, Dr Ibrahim Abdullahi, stated this in Gusau on Friday while inaugurating a School Farm Programme and E-Quality Assurance Training, organised by the State Universal Basic Education Board (ZSUBEB).

Abdullahi said “Governor Bello Matawalle has directed me to ensure that all secondary schools in the state include Agricultural Science-based subjects in their curriculum”.

“This measure is to train students in various agricultural subjects for them to be exposed to various agricultural opportunities in future and make them agricultural experts in future.

“We are going to enforce the directives of the governor, we are going to make sure that all schools practice agricultural activities in the farms. Every student must be given a raw to farm at least 2 metres”.

On quality assurance E-training, the Commissioner charged the participants to give more attention to the training.

He cautioned them to utilize all the motorcycles and equipment given to them judiciously.

Abdullahi described the launching of the two programmes as remarkable achievements by the SUBEB.

“I commend the present leadership in the SUBEB for making changes in promoting Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in the state.

“At the ministry level, we are going to give maximum support to education activities,” he added.
In a remark, the State Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr Aminu Sulaiman, described the School Farm programme as a welcome development in agriculture.

Sulaiman, represented by the Director of Fisheries and Horticultulure in the ministry, Aliyu Umar, said the programme can never be estimated as it would help in food production and eradicate hunger.

“We are going to support schools under under this programme with capacity building,” he assured.Officials of the National Air Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA), who spoke at the occasion, said the Agency was commitment and ready to support the programme.

Earlier, the SUBEB Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Maradun, said the board is giving serious attention to the two programmes.

Maradun said the E-quality assurance programme involved effective supervision of schools, saying “We are going to train quality assurance officers from 14 Local Government Areas on effective supervision of schools in the state through modern technology.”We have procured 17 motorcycles for School Support Officers (SSOs), Tablets for quality assurance officers, while Laptops, printers and deskstops are meant for Local Government Education Authorities.

“On the School Farm Programme, we are providing dry season farming equipment to 26 schools across the state to implement the programmes,” he explained.