BACAS@50: Old Students Seek Revival Of Basic Studies Schools To Bridge Education Gap

Old students of the Bauchi College of Arts and Science (BACAS) have called for the revival of the School of Basic Studies (SBS) system to provide educationally disadvantaged students with better opportunities to gain admission into Nigerian universities.

The call was made during the Golden Jubilee celebration and reunion of former BACAS students held at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.

Presenting a paper titled, “Fifty Years of BACAS: Celebrating Our Heritage, Our Achievements and the Lessons Before Us,” journalist and former BACAS student, Muhammad Musa-Gombe, traced the origin of the Basic Studies School system to an initiative proposed by the late Brigadier Musa Usman, then governor of the former North-Eastern State.

Musa-Gombe said the proposal was made at a meeting of the Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA), which eventually led to the establishment of the School of Basic Studies in Zaria and the subsequent creation of similar institutions in Bauchi, Niger, Cross River, Borno, Yola and other parts of the country.

According to him, the schools provided two-year preparatory programmes for prospective university students, with the Interim Joint Matriculation Examination (IJME), introduced by Ahmadu Bello University, serving as the terminal examination.

He regretted that the Basic Studies schools were later abolished by state governments, arguing that their revival in a modernised form would help bridge educational disparities and improve access to university education, particularly for students from disadvantaged communities.

Musa-Gombe said the initiative could be reintroduced either individually by states or through a collaborative arrangement involving relevant governments and educational institutions.

Reflecting on BACAS’ 50-year journey, he said the institution provided students with more than academic knowledge, as it brought together young Nigerians from diverse cultural, religious and social backgrounds.

He said the experience helped promote tolerance, peaceful coexistence, friendship, accommodation and mutual respect among students from different parts of the country.

The former student also urged members of the old students’ association to use the proposed merger of BACAS alumni associations as an opportunity to build a stronger, more united organisation.

He cautioned against turning the merger into a contest for positions or personalities, stressing that the association should focus on programmes that would benefit members, the institution and younger generations.

Musa-Gombe called on the alumni to move beyond periodic reunions by establishing sustainable initiatives in mentorship, scholarships, educational support, and the preservation of BACAS’s history and heritage.

He said the Golden Jubilee should not merely be a celebration of the institution’s past achievements but a platform for renewed commitment to shaping its future.

“Heritage is memory. Heritage is experience. Heritage is people. And BACAS has a story worth preserving,” he said.