Niger to reabsorb dropouts as enrolment soars in basic schools

The Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) says it has put in place mechanism aimed at encouraging dropouts to return to schools.

The chairman of the board, Dr Isah Adamu, who disclosed this in an interview with Daily Trust said the broad-based plan also aimed at further increasing enrolment rate and pupils’ continued stay at the basic education level.

According to him, the state government, in collaboration with the World Bank, has evolved a plan toward reabsorbing the dropouts, including almajirai, into the school system.

He said all the necessary logistics and materials that would enhance the success of the initiative are already on ground.

He also noted that there was a significant increase in enrolment rate across both sexes, adding that the interest of the girl-child in acquiring basic education was quite encouraging.

“For now, the total number of enrolment in our primary schools is 721,977 and out of this number, 315,973 are females and to us this represents a significant leap in the interest shown by our girls and parents in acquiring basic education,” he said.

The chairman further explained that the new team was working on a template aimed at transforming the basic education system in collaboration with all stakeholders.

According to him, to achieve the intended objectives, the board’s leadership has met with education secretaries across all the 25 local government areas and other key stakeholders on the matter.

“We have put in place certain indicators that will serve as means of evaluating our operations. We established a focus and direction as well as target within a period and set out to meet same; we are redefining roles and commitment that will improve the basic education system in the state,” he also stated.

He noted that the board has taken the training of teachers more seriously in order to impart latest knowledge on the students, pointing out that the board would adopt e-learning in driving the process, while also collaborating with the state’s Teachers Development Institute in the training and retraining of teachers.