Out of School: Stakeholders Urge Government to Enforce Laws Against Child Hawking During School Hours

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

In a call to action, education stakeholders in Kaduna State have urged the state government to begin full enforcement of existing laws prohibiting children from hawking and engaging in non-school activities during school hours. 

The appeal comes at the close of a week-long training for 92 Social Mobilisation Officers (SMOs) drawn from the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

The training, aimed at equipping SMOs with updated knowledge and strategies to build the capacity of 8,730 School Based Management Committees (SBMCs), to address the persistent issue of out-of-school children in rural and suburban communities, especially those engaged in hawking.

Speaking at the close of the training, Aishatu Abdulkadir, Head of Social Mobilisation in Zaria LGA, called for firm government action to stop the widespread practice of child hawking during school hours.

“If a child is found hawking or doing other non-school activities during school hours, their parents should face consequences,” she said. “Once the law is enforced for even a few parents, others will be discouraged from keeping their children out of school.”

She stressed that laws already exist to prevent this form of child labor, but weak enforcement has allowed the practice to continue unchecked. Abdulkadir urged the government to publicly showcase cases where parents are penalized to serve as a deterrent to others.

“Government should use television and radio to publicize any enforcement actions. If parents know there are real consequences, they will think twice before keeping their children out of school to work,” she added.

According to Abdulkadir, financial instability is one of the major reasons parents rely on children to contribute income through hawking, especially in rural and low-income households.

“We may not be able to solve their economic problems immediately, but we must keep sensitizing and supporting them to understand that education is a long-term solution to poverty,” she said.

She also raised concerns about the almajiri system, pointing out a contradiction where Qur’anic teachers (alarammas) often enroll their own children in formal schools while children under their care continue to beg or remain out of school.

“This contradiction must be addressed. Government needs to act decisively and ensure that all children, regardless of background, are enrolled in school,” she said.

Abdulkadir noted that while Zaria metropolis sees fewer cases of out-of-school children, surrounding rural areas still struggle with the problem. She emphasized the importance of involving traditional and religious leaders, as well as women and children, in addressing the crisis.

“Women are the ones who either take children to school or allow them to stay home. With this new training, we’re going to engage women more deliberately,” she said.

Training Revitalizes Advocacy Across LGAs

The training, which included new content not present in earlier versions from over a decade ago, is part of a broader strategy by the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to reinvigorate community-based education advocacy.

Ahmed Aliyu, the SMO HOD Forum Chairman for the state, echoed Abdulkadir’s sentiments, stating that 90% of his department’s work involves engaging communities. He highlighted how the training deepened his understanding of child protection, gender-based violence, and community advocacy.

“We’ve learned how to better protect children from abuse and exploitation, which often go unnoticed and hinder learning. This is vital in ensuring children not only return to school but stay there,” he said.

Aliyu emphasized the role of cascading knowledge to other SMOs and SBMCs, noting that everyone down to the child is a critical stakeholder in reversing the out-of-school trend.

“Ultimately, it all ends at the children’s level. This training gives us the tools to improve how we interact with communities, enlighten them, and drive change,” he added.

A Holistic, Community-Led Approach

In Kachia LGA, where insecurity has posed a major barrier to education, David Obadiah, Head of Department for Social Mobilisation, described the training as a “vital tool” for community engagement.

He said that SBMCs are now better positioned to penetrate communities, identify out-of-school children, and work with parents and local leaders to reintegrate them into classrooms.

“We’re already engaging traditional rulers, women’s groups, and religious organizations. These are the gatekeepers. Once they are on board, it becomes easier to reach families and bring children back to school,” he said.

Obadiah acknowledged the challenge of reaching insecure areas but revealed that a strategy is in place to bring people from such communities to “safe zones” for training. These individuals then return home to replicate what they’ve learned.

“This training is an investment for tomorrow,” he said. “Even with modest resources, using our SMO structure where each officer covers ten schools we can make real progress. But we need more support from government and partners to scale up.”

A Call for Immediate Government Action

The stakeholders were united in their call for the Kaduna State Government to stop turning a blind eye to the illegal practice of child hawking during school hours.

“We cannot continue to sensitize communities without backing it up with enforcement,” Abdulkadir insisted. “If we want real change, there has to be a shift—an active move from awareness to action.”

With thousands of SBMC members set to receive cascading training from the newly trained SMOs, there is renewed hope that Kaduna State can significantly reduce its out-of-school population. But without visible enforcement of child protection and education laws, stakeholders warn that progress may stall.

The message from the frontlines is clear: Educating children should not be negotiable. It is a right—and the government must act like it is.