The Katsina State Government has initiated a headcount of students in selected government secondary schools to enhance the accuracy of education data and ensure a more effective allocation of school operating costs.
The exercise, which commenced on Monday in the Katsina senatorial zone, is expected to continue over several days until all secondary school students in the area are enumerated.
Similar headcounts have already been conducted in Katsina South and North senatorial zones. The ongoing exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education through its Internal Audit Department in collaboration with the Office of the Auditor General and the Zonal Education Quality Assurance Unit.
On Monday, audit teams visited several schools within the state capital, including Government Day Secondary School, Kofar Yandaka; Government School for the Blind; Government Senior Secondary School, Kofar Kaura; Tudun Matawalle; and Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studies (SUNCAIS). The exercise is expected to continue in other schools within the zone throughout the week.
Speaking during the exercise, Ghali Sani, Director of Internal Audit, said the headcount would provide reliable data to support a more efficient allocation of resources in the education sector. He described the initiative as part of the broader effort by the administration of Governor Dikko Radda to revitalise education in the state.
Sani also commended the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Zainab Musawa, the Office of the Auditor General, the Zonal Education Quality Assurance team, and school administrators for their cooperation in facilitating the exercise.