Boni Elders Wants Government To Reopen Closed Schools And Post Teachers In The Region.
Boni elders have requested that the national government intervene and save the region’s education sector from collapse.
In 2014 and 2017, militants set fire to and vandalized Basuba, Milimani, Mangai, Mararani, and Kiangwe primary schools, forcing teachers to flee.
Because of its proximity to the infamous Boni Forest, which is thought to be a hideout for al Shabaab militants, Basuba is considered a terror-prone area.
Residents have repeatedly blamed the government for failing to secure the region and deploy teachers.
Since the schools were closed in 2014, many students have not set foot in a classroom.
Some have been fortunate enough to be transferred to safer learning centers in Mokowe and Kiunga.
The schools in Boni serve students from underprivileged communities such as the Bonis, Sanye, and Orma.
On Wednesday, Boni elder Ali Gubo blamed the government for the lack of teachers, despite numerous assurances of security, which left Boni students unattended for years.
“They really need to tell us why our schools can’t reopen and why there are no teachers. Are we supposed to keep quiet when our children suffer?” Gubo asked.
Between 2014 and 2016, the Teachers Service Commission recalled 14 Basuba teachers and redeployed them to safer zones.
Six more were apprehended around the same time for deserting, citing al Shabaab threats.
The commission has previously stated that it will not send teachers to terror-prone areas until the government can ensure their safety.
Sharuti Dida, a Boni elder, proposed that TSC train and recruit Form 4 leavers from the community and place them in schools as teachers.
“If they don’t want to post other people let them train and recruit from within to salvage the situation. We can’t go on like this,“ Dida said.
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Until recently, Boni students had to be airlifted to school because al Shabaab terrorists planted explosives on major roads connecting the villages.
This means that residents have a limited number of roads to use to get around.
Many areas in the Boni forest are under the control of the Linda Boni security operation team, whose goal is to eliminate al Shabaab.
Boni Elders Wants Government To Reopen Closed Schools And Post Teachers In The Region.
