Kebbi Identifies 500,000 Out of School Children in 9 LGAs – Official
By Alex Uangbaoje, Birnin Kebbi
Approximately 500,000 Out of School Children were identified in 9 Local Government Areas of Kebbi State according to the Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry of Education, Rafa’atu Hamani.
The figure according to her, was findings from a 2016 Community households mapping conducted by the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), in 9 LGAs of Argungu, Bagudo, Dandi, Danko-Wasagu, Gwandu, Koko-Besse, Maiyama, Shanga and Suru, supported by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Qatar Foundation under the Educate A Child (EAC) Project.
“According to 2016 Community households mapping conducted by SUBEB as supported by UNICEF and Qatar Foundation under the EDUCATE A CHILD (EAC) PROJECT, 491,936 (226,888 F) out of school children were identified in 9 EAC LGAs.” Hamani said.
She explained that the 2016/2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) placed the State Out of School Children ratio at 33.6%, which she said has resulted in total violation of the child’s right to quality education as enshrined in Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) signed by Nigerian Government in 1989.
She added that, if the Out-of-school children issue will continue to remain unaddressed, the menace will have negative effects on the security (social-unrest/violence/armed robbery, kidnapping), political (thuggery), economic (low economic growth) sectors of the State, and may hinder Kebbi State, National and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) education targets.
The Permanent Secretary who dislosed this in her presentation at the State Advocacy and Community Engagement Workshop in Birnin Kebbi, however, said that primary school enrolment has increased by 17.8% according to 2016/2017 Annual School Census (ASC).
“Partnership between Kebbi State Government and UNICEF on Basic Education programme focuses on improved equitable access, learning outcomes, completion of quality education.
“Kebbi State Government recognizes education as a fundamental human right and the right of every child to education. This is why the present administration accords the sector a higher priority in the State development agenda.
“The policy framework for educational delivery in Kebbi State is mainly the National Policy on Education (NPE). Other policies approved by the State such as Kebbi State Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (KBSEEDS) that addresses the peculiar needs and operational problems of the State also exists. The State’s policies on education are guided by the national goals or global targets to which Nigeria owes obligation such as SEEDS, UBE, EFA, SDGs, and Vision 20, 2020. She noted.
