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- Sununu lauches National Campaign on Out-Of-School Children
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State Governor Dr Nasir Idris has disclosed that his administration within first eight months has spent over N9 billion to construct more classrooms,furnitures and provisions of basic amenities in the schools to encourage enrolment of pupils.
Idris disclosed this during the flag-off of National Campaign on Out-of-School Children across Nigeria held in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital.
He explained that the money was spent in the construction of classrooms, provision of motorised boreholes and hand-pumps, construction of toilets, provision of furniture, renovation of dilapidated classrooms and provision of textbooks and writing materials.
According to him,”based on the available data and statistics,more than 10 million Nigerians of school shed are roaming the streets without access to formal education. Kebbi State, according to the National Education Data Survey(NEEDS 2015),has a total number of 814,915 out-of-school children for whom the government has to provide equitable access to qualitative and functional education.
“It is in this regard that my administration strategised and work out modalities for the reduction of these number of out of school children through sensitisation and massive enrolment drive campaign as well as the provision of adequate infrastructural facilities.
“Accordingly,this administration, within it’s first eight months on the mantle of leadership,spent over 9 billion naira in the construction of classrooms,provision of motorised and hand-pumps, construction of toilets, provision of furniture, renovation of dilapidated classrooms,and provision of textbooks and writing materials.
“Similarly,2,000 teachers were trained in order to improve their pedagogic competence for effective teaching and learning in schools.”
He added that six mega schools were being constructed to provide access to education by Almajiris and other categories of out-of-school children in the state.
Idris disclosed that, 717 Post-Basic Literacy Centers were established across the state for post-basic literacy programme for the Almajiris that had already undergone basic literacy programme under Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA).
The governor noted with satisfaction that BESDA programme, Kebbi State recorded tremendous success in terms of enrolling the different categories of out-of-school children into schools through the instrument of non-formal learning centres.
Gov. Idris said in particular, 3,945 learning centres were established comprising Almajiri, girl-child and nomads children and more than 500 learners have been enrolled in basic literacy programme.
“This has let Kebbi to attain an enviable position amongst the 17 BESDA participating states in terms of achievement of rewards,” he said.
In his speech, the Hon. Minister of State, Education, Dr Yusuf Tanko-Sununu urged Kebbi people to appreciate the new administration given to them by Almighty Allah by supporting its policies and programmes and rendering good advice that would take the state forward.
He appealed to individuals and groups to key into the national campaign on out-of-school children and other issues related to education “as government alone cannot do it.”
Sununu advised the State Government to establish a strong foundation by constructing more classes and recruiting more teachers to make it easy for the Federal Government to come in and assist.
The minister urged the Governor to ensure recruitment professional teachers who were duly registered with Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
While applauding the governor for increasing allocation to education in the 2024 budget, the minister also advised His Excellency to talk to traditional rulers in the state to see how teachers respect would be restored.
Dr Falake Olatunji-David, Director, Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education said the programme was the third phase of the several interventions embarked upon by the ministry to ensure substantial reduction in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
She lamented that recent study shows that Nigeria accounts for one out of every five out-of-school children in the world and 45 per cent of out-of-school children in West African sub region.
The director appealed to spirited individuals in the state to aid the less privileged in the community by adopting the children and youths “who are of school age and supporting the education of such.”
