The acronym KASSOSA stands for ‘Kano Science Schools Old Students Association. I am a proud KASSOSITE. There is no doubt KSSOSSA is among the most prestigious and exclusive old school boys club anywhere in the country. We are a diverse group of privileged young boys and girls who were offered the wings to fly and conquer the world through a deliberate public policy of a three years quality science education . And that we literally accomplished with outstanding precision; all at public expense
I hope we live upto the dreams of our founders by taking active roles that will not only help advance the cause of science education in our alma matas but also ask critical and difficult questions about how the system that gave us so much yesterday is today in the throes of death!
Dawakin Kudu, Dawakin Tofa and Kafin Hausa were still world class facilities even as ‘recent’ as 93/94 when some of us left. We have heard tales of how expatriates taught most of our senior colleagues. The first advertorial to recruit teachers for the premier college was placed in London times. We also met the physical and intellectual evidence of such excellence on ground and benefitted most from it. My favourite physics material were that of a certain expatriate (Mr George Menacharil) who taught in Dawakin Kudu stucked in a small corner of the main library. Terranace Drisscoll also wrote my best technical drawing companion while he worked there. This is as best as any secondary school can be anywhere on earth!
There is certainly alot all of us can do as old boys, most specifically in infrastructure, teaching materials and logistics. I am glad that most class chapters and national body are committed to this and we can still do better. But there is actually very little or nothing we can do in areas of policy, regulations, standards, enforcement, monitoring and evaluation. These are exclusively and directly the responsibility of governments.
Most of us may not be who we are today if Sani Bello and his excellent team hadn’t thought of this noble idea 45years ago. A sound idea they implemented so faithfully using global standards and backed up with rigorous regulations and sound feedback system. This is the biggest missing link and what KASSOSA should also discuss – beyond our traditional obligations as old boys – which we must also improve on.
This piece is dedicated to our teachers who were the torch bearers of the light that took us to safety
Dr Nuruddeen Muhammad MBBS MWACP FMCPsych
Dawakin Kudu College 93
