Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i, has enrolled his six-year-old son, Abubakar, in primary one of a public school in fulfilment of a promise he made in 2017. Abubakar is now a pupil of Capital School Malali, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that El-Rufa’i had in a state broadcast in December 2017, promised to enroll his child in a public school when he turns six years.
“The move is part of reforms to revamp public schools in the state to make them more competitive.
“We are determined to fix public education and raise their standards so that private education will become only a luxury.
“As we make progress, we will require our senior officials to enroll their children in public schools.
“And I will by personal example ensure that my son that will be six years of age in 2019 will be enrolled in a public school in Kaduna State, by God’s grace,” El-Rufa’i had said.
Briefing newsmen shortly after he enrolled his six-years-old, El-Rufa’i affirmed it was a commitment that had been fulfilled.
“I made that commitment because I believe that it is only when all political leaders have their children in public schools that we will pay due attention to quality of public education.
“I went to a public school like this. In fact, the school I went to is not as good as this one, but here I am, because of the quality teaching I got.
“My intention is to ensure that all our public schools offer quality education, and so we are encouraging all our senior public servants to send their children to public schools.
“Once the public schools are improved to a point they are nearly as good or even better than private schools, no one will waste his money taking his child to private school,” he said.
Ummi El-Rufai, wife of the governor and mother of the child said: “l am glad that we are able to send a strong message to our leaders and the elites, that we need to start making things work from within our homes.
“By the time we start attending public hospitals and send our children to public schools, the system will get better. This is a very huge step,” she said.
On his part, the little child said: “I am sad that I will miss my old school, my friends and my teachers. But I have to help my father keep his promise.”