The United Nations Children Education Fund, UNICEF, has said it is worried over the large number of ‘out of school children’ especially in northern Nigerian states of Katsina and Kano.
Arewa Trust reports that of the 13.2m estimated Out Of School Children, OOSC in Nigeria, the north has the highest figure with Kano and Katsina at the top.
The UNICEF’s Chief Education in Nigeria Wose Euphrates said it was informed by this that it commenced an outreach to these affected states with a view to changing the tides.
”One of the strategies of reduction of OOSC is by strengthening government systems to deliver quality education with foundational and employability skills for learners”, she said.
”The need for the visit to was to emphasize the concerns over the growing number and to evolve ways of addressing the challenge,” she added.
SDG data on OOSC show Nigeria as worst in indicators, while the North West share the huge burden.The visit was to emphasize concerns on growing number of out-of-school-children despite huge investments\’ she said .
She said, ”It will be a wasted opportunity if children do not receive quality learning at the right age, time and environment,”
Responding, Governor Aminu Bello Masari observed that figures on OOSC was alarming, with Katsina among lead states, and linked absence of education to the myriads of security challenges especially in the rural communities.
He decried the pattern of moving children across borders as beggars (Almajiri), and opined that
Katsina state was determined to provide education to the Almajiris within their natural environment as most sustainable to facilitate mainstreaming to formal sector.
He pledged to introduce entrepreneurship education at Integrated Quranic Schools while also promising to enhance family investment through promoting girl child education always.
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