Written by: Ibrahim Jatau Kunya _ LOCATION Dawakin Tofa Science College is one of the prominent, Science Secondary Schools in Kano State, Nigeria. The school is located at Dawakin Tofa Local Government 12.118960 N 8.3397360 E, about 32 km from Kano metropolis. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCIENCE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KANO The establishment of science secondary schools in Kano state was born out of the conspicuous need of science and technical manpower in the 1970s. After the creation of Kano State in 1968, the state was faced with lack of indigenous manpower in science and technology to meet up with its anticipated expanded social development. To overcome this challenges, the need to establish Kano State own special science secondary schools was suggested, with the sole aim of training science students and producing professionals in science and technology on a long term basis to compliment the efforts of meeting up with the manpower challenges of the state. This suggestion was proposed by an eighteen member Manpower Development Committee headed by Dr Ibrahim Ayagi in 1975. Subsequently, in April 1977, the Military Governor of Kano State Colonel Sani Bello approved and announced the establishment of science secondary schools in Kano State. DAWAKIN TOFA SCIENCE COLLEGE Dawakin Tofa Science College was initially a conventional Secondary School as provided by the 5-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria originally established in 1972. The secondary school was later converted to a Science Secondary School in 1977, and the first set of students resumed in September 1977. Dawakin Tofa Science College started with 120 best students drawn from across all Junior Secondary Schools in Kano State. From 1977 to 1980, the admission was through entrance aptitude test set-up by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to provide a thorough process that lead to the selection of the very best. Thereafter, Kano State Science Secondary School Management Board (KSSSSMB) was established and saddled with the responsibility of conducting aptitude test and selecting best among students. The following subjects were approved for teaching in Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary school by KSSSMB under the administration of Alhaji Ado Gwaram (1977 to 1978) [Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English, Geography, Hausa, Islamic studies, and Technical Drawing or Agricultural Sciences]. The board also approved the construction of two laboratories each for Biology, Chemistry, Physics and additional one each for Technical Drawing, Agricultural Sciences and Geography. In the year 1998, the name of the school was adjusted from Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary School to its current name of Dawakin Tofa Science College. PRINCIPALS AND THEIR TENURE The first principal of Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary School was Alhaji Dauda Suleiman (September to December 1977) while the current principal is Malam Shehu Umar, a veteran in teaching Chemistry, Former Head of Chemistry department, a House master and head of many school committees including JETS and the disciplinary committee. Due to inadequacy in the number of indigenous science teachers in Kano State then, the KSSSSMB considered engaging expatriates from the United States to head the newly established science schools. Three of them were principals at Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary School. Table 1, Shows the list of principals from September 1977 to September 2015. (38 years from inception). LIST OF PRINCIPALS OF DAWAKIN TOFA SCIENCE COLLEGE FROM 1977 TO 2015 TEACHERS Initially, most of the teachers were expatriates mostly from United States, United Kingdom, Ghana, and India. Some of the expatriates were posted to the school under the Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), the VSO was a program meant to help developing countries in providing adequate training for science oriented students. Other teachers were from British Council free teaching program posted to teach Mathematics and English. Later, indigenous teachers from Kano state and other parts of the country with first degree in sciences and skills in teaching methodology were recruited to gradually replace most of the expatriates. In 1999, Kano State Government terminated the appointments of all non-Kano indigene teachers from the services of science schools in the state. This left the school with only indigenous teachers up till date. Some prominent teachers from other part of the country included: Mr. E.O Ibe, Mr Kamaru O.O, Malam Dan Fulani, Malam M.T Ali, Malam Abdulrahman Lasisi and a lots of them. Among the teachers from British Council free teaching program were Mrs Ema, Mrs Helen and Mr Paul Martins. NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary School started with 120 students in September 1977 (1 teacher: 20 students ratio), and as at 2014/2015 academic year, the school has enrolled a total of 9,702 students. PROMINENT STUDENTS OF DAWAKIN TOFA SCIENCE COLLEGE The school has graduated many qualified and prominent medical and health practitioners, engineers, scientists, politicians and celebrities at both national and international level. Some prominent among them included:
EXAMINATIONS AND SUCCESS RATE OF STUDENTS Since 1980, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has been setting-up the final examination for the students after completion of class 3 (SS 3). The title of the exam was later changed to West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1999. In April 1999, the Federal Government of Nigeria introduced another body of examination called National Examination Council (NECO), and the 2000 set were the first students that sat for the exam. From 2001 up to date, the students have the opportunity to sit for both WAEC and NECO. The success rate was determined as students that passed WAEC exam with five credits and above. The success rate fluctuates in the span of 1980 to 1998, with the worst WAEC result recorded in 1993 (7.14%) and highest in 1988 (Table 2). In 1984, Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary School produced the most outstanding WAEC record when Sarki Abba scored the highest results in Nigeria. Similarly, the first highest success rate in Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) was recorded in the year 2000, when over 75% of the students passed NECO exam with five credits and above. Naziru Hamisu now a paediatrician at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria scored the highest result with distinctions in all the nine subjects. Also, in the year 2013 NECO result, another student from Dawaki Tofa Science College became overall best student in Kano State. Table 2 illustrates the year, the number of students that sat for the exam and the success rate. TABLE 2. SUCCESS RATE IN WAEC RESULT FROM 1980 TO 1998 HOSTELS Initially, Dawakin Tofa Science College has six hostels; two hostels occupied a storey building Dunawa House/Tofa House, Galadima House/Madaki House and Makama House/Waziri House. Each story building was attached with a students’ recreation centre where students play games at their leisure time. Later, with the increased number of students in the school, an additional three blocks were converted in to hostels and named Dawaki A, B and C. When Dunawa/Tofa block was undergoing renovation in the year 2000, a block near computer centre was converted into a make shift hostel called “Madagascar” to accommodate the students temporarily. KITCHEN All students converge at the kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of the meals that majority of the students will not forget included; gabza, gudun qurna, moi-moi, koko and teba. On Fridays, usually, dinner was normally served with meat (ani). Among the prominent staff in the kitchen were Malam Isyaku and uwar tuwo. VILLAGES AROUND DAWAKIN TOFA SCIENCE COLLEGE Dawakin Tofa Science Secondary School is surrounded by two villages; Katoge and Kashirmo villages. The two villages are not far from the school. The students and the community relate well with each other with immense benefits. The students normally buy things for their up keep such as waina, qosai, ground nuts, aya and so on while the villagers use the school as the source of having some income. Malam Jume mai Kanti, Isyaku mai gyada were among those popular with the students. Other memorable places neighbouring the school included; Dunawa bush and Shagari quarters WRITTEN BY PHARM IBRAHIM JATAU KUNYA (datsosa2000 e-project 2015) Any suggestions/observations ([email protected]) REFERENCES: Prof Abdallah Uba Adamu Dawakin Tofa Science College ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Shafiu Lawan Tofa Zaharaddeen Hamisu Aliyu M Shehu Pharm Ibrahim Lawan Sani Ahmed Minjibir Management of Dawakin Tofa Science College DATSOSA2000 EXCOS All DATSOSA2000members ..........datsosa2000 e-project 2015!
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Malam Musa Abdulwahab (aka Kul-kul) was born on January 21st, 1981 at Kul-kul quarters, Dala, Kano metropolis! Malam Musa Kul-kul is a father of one and one of the founding fathers of DATSOSA2000. He has been very proactive, supportive and always ready to assist in the running the affairs of the association. His life at Dawakin Tofa was very friendly and making jokes with friends! He was the brain behind the weekly Qur'an recitation and special Du'as at school mosque for the success of our final exams! Musa is a politician, a farmer and a teacher He always enjoys being with friends! WE ARE ALWAYS PROUD OF HIM @ DATSOSA2000 Two final year students of Government Science Secondary School, Dawakin Tofa, recently made Kano State proud by making incubation machine to make life easier for poultry farmers.
Rabi’u Kabir Ibrahim (18) and Basiru Attahiru (19), hailed from Wudil and Bebeji Local Government Areas respectively Rabi’u, who wants to study Water Engineering in the university, narrates how the decision to construct the Incubator came up. “After we were informed by the school authority that we will represent our school at the National Festival of Schools Science and Quiz Competition at the University of Lagos, I and Basiru sat down and brainstormed on what to do to show case our talent not just to win, but also to provide something that will make impact and make our state proud.” “We decided that since we are representing Kano State and northern Nigeria where agriculture is the main occupation, we resolved that an incubation machine that will help our farmers will be ideal,” he said, adding that after researching and consulting their teachers they sourced the materials needed for the construction of the incubator from waste materials and fabricated the machine in five days. “We constructed the incubation machine by using two empty cartons (big and small), kerosene lamp, silver container, aluminum foil, wire net, used syringe, sawdust, thermometer, glue, pieces of wood, nails and cellotape,” he said. Basiru, who wants to study Medicine, expatiated on Rabi’u’s submission. “The inner part of the smaller carton is also wrapped with aluminum foil to prevent heat loss due to radiation and prevent the wetting of the inside of the carton. The thermometer is for determining the relative humidity inside. There is also the egg tray where the eggs are arranged, which can contain at least 30 eggs. So when you are heating the bottom, the heat will be supplied to the eggs through the silver container which acts as a conductor and there is water inside, so the heat is being conducted throughout the local incubator. The water inside can also retain heat so that you can even put off the kerosene lamp to save your kerosene since the water can retain the heat.” According to Rabi’u Kabir, “during the first experiment, we successfully hatched 18 chicken eggs and in the second trial, 20 geese eggs and in the third 25 out of the 30 quail eggs.” According to the young scientists, they spent only N1,500 to make the incubator, adding that “since we returned from Lagos our focus is on how to improve the machine and make it more efficient. For instance, now when the eggs are put inside the machine, one has to open the container and turn the eggs after every eight hours, which may allow air to enter and affect them. So we want to make the machine to turn the eggs automatically without opening the container.” The Principal of the School, Malam Shehu Umar said the students really tried by making the machine in a short time “because we received the invitation to participate in the competition very late. In the end, we came fourth in the whole country which is a big feat.” Malam Umar called on individuals and corporate organisations to complement government’s effort by assisting the school, especially in the area of electricity supply. Culled from Daily Trust 8/6/2013 |
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