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Katsina, UNICEF focuses on enrollment, retention, completion of education to address Out-of-School Children 

Katsina, UNICEF focuses on enrollment, retention, completion of education to address Out-of-School Children 

By Faith Awa Maji, Katsina 

The Katsina State government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF as well as stakeholders in the Education sector across four States of North-West region of Katsina, Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa have, converged on Katsina to deliberate on ways to end the menace of out-of-school children.

The meeting was organised by the Katsina State Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the UNICEF, Kano Field office.

UNICEF Nigeria, Abuja office Education Specialist, Mrs Azuka Minkiti, while at the two-day regional stakeholders meeting, Thursday in Katsina, said the meeting was to see areas where the participating States need more intervention on the issues of out-of-school children.

According to her, the overall aim of the meeting was to build a collective commitment on how to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the States, and also improve school enrollment, retention, transition and completion.

She said “two years ago, UNICEF worked with the Federal Ministry of Education, and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), to develop a National framework of action on reducing out-of-school children in Nigeria.

“Now we are operationalising this framework and getting States to develop models to address the high number of out-of-school children in their States.

“That is what we are doing today, and tomorrow we are going to focus on school enrollment, retention, transition and completion of both primary and secondary education.”

On her part, the Permanent Secretary Katsina State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hajiiya Mairo Othman said as part of efforts toward addressing the menace, the State government recently recruited about 7,300 teachers. 

“In order to create new learning spaces in secondary schools, the government through the Agile project is constructing 75 secondary schools across the State and another 75 is coming in 2025.

“Recently, the foundation for the establishment of one special school in each of the three senatorial zones in the State was laid, with state-of-the-art facilities to create a suitable learning environment for the children of the less privileged”, the Permanent Secretary stated.

The Kano State Commissioner of Education, Alhaji Umar Haruna-Doguwa said the present administration in the State will soon declare a State of emergency in the education sector.

According to him, as part of its commitment to end out-of-school menace, the State government will integrate the Tsangaya schools into the formal system of education.

Also, the Jigawa State Chairman, Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Prof. Haruna Musa said the State government has the passion to establish integrated Tsangaya centres towards addressing the out-of-school children issue.

He noted that “we also want the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) to own those schools, so that they should be able to make sure that the children are going to school”.

On his part, the Director Planning, Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Malam Salisu Lawal, revealed that the State government has received loans and grants to build more schools to ensure children have more access to education and are provided with quality education. 

Lawmakers and other critical stakeholders all have admitted that the rate of out-of-school children in North-West Nigeria is alarming

and unacceptable, hence, all hands must be on deck to support governments at all levels in the fight against insecurity, illiteracy, poverty for better society.

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