The Borno Government has introduced incentives intended to make children go back to school and retain them there.

The incentives include free uniforms, text and exercise books and bus rides for pupils and students to and from school.

The Chairman, Borno State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr Shettima Kullima, on Monday said, “As regards efforts being made by SUBEB and by extension, the Borno Government in returning out-of-school children to school, the state government, as a matter of urgency, put all mechanisms in place to see that schools that are hitherto vandalised are fixed to make them functional.

“There are certain strategies that were deliberately mapped out by the state government in schools opened in order to see that out-of-school children not only enrolled but are retained.

“For this, the governor purchased uniforms for these students.

“The governor went further to purchase school sandals, instructional materials such as school bags, text books and exercise books.

“For the purpose of logistic convenience, the state government introduced school buses for the schools located in the urban centres so that they could be used to transport students and pupils from their homes to school.’’

Statistics from the state’s Ministry of Education show that the North-East zone accounts for 3.773 million of the 13.2 million out-of-school children of basic education age in the country.

The SUBEB chairman added that the state government is also tightening security in schools by building wired fences and providing solar power.

According to him, the government has also introduced a feeding programme for the students.

He said, “Another tremendous effort is the introduction of a feeding programme in almost all the schools.

“Now that the governor has introduced this as a policy, kitchens are being constructed.

“Another stimulus for making students to be retained is the idea of protection; wire fences are being constructed in our schools.

“So, most of our schools are now fenced with security barbwires installed.

“There are also wash system being introduced. As a deliberate policy, bore holes are now being drilled in schools and a solar power system is being introduced.

“To make teachers part of the school system, more staff quarters are constructed in most of our schools’’

Kullima commended the Federal Government and the state governor for the efforts they are making to ensure that the schools in the state regained their lost glory especially following the advent of insurgency.

He said despite what was being reported, the state was already experiencing an appreciable level of peace and tranquillity.

“We have seen the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the crisis and sincerely you can give kudos to the leadership in Borno for the perseverance, determination and enthusiasm exhibited in trying to see that insurgency is stopped.’’