Nigeria Records World’s Highest Population Of Out Of SchoolChildren …UNICEF

Aliyu Bauchi

UNICEF says Nigeria has the World’s highest number of out of school children, 10.2 million of Primary school-age with an additional 8.1 million of Junior Secondary Level that are also out of school.

The disclosure was made by the Chief of Field Office, Bauchi UNICEF Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane in a Goodwill message he gave at the opening of a two-day Regional Stakeholders Engagement Meeting on the Out-of-School Children and the Retention, Transition and Completion Models in Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa States at Emerald Hotel Hall, Gombe, Gombe State.

He said further disclosed that only 63 percent of children of primary school age regularly attend school.”

“According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2021, only 84 percent of children effectively transit to Junior Secondary Education after Primary School completion,” he said.

He added that, “Less than 50 percent – about 2.4 million – of the 5.9 million children who commence Primary Grade 1 annually in Nigeria persevere to the conclusion of Junior Secondary, JSS 3.”

The UNICEF CFO further disclosed that an analysis of the MICS reports between 2011 and 2021 show an increase in dropout rates across all genders at the primary level especially in the northern part of the country.

“Specifically, the Primary level dropout rate rose from 1% in 2011 to 5% in 2021,” he said.

“A similar upward trend is noticeable when considering wealth quintiles. For students belonging to the poorest wealth quintile, the primary-level dropout rate increased from 2% in 2011 to 6% in 2021. Among students in the richest wealth quintile, the dropout rate also showed an increase, rising from 1% in 2011 to 4% in 2021,” he added.

According to the report, ”the consistent pattern suggests that, compared to a decade ago, the education system in Nigeria faces challenge in retaining students and ensuring their continued education across all the regions and the problem persists in the North-East and North-West.”

According to him, the numerous obstacles prevent consistent school attendance, timely enrolment, and completion of education for all Nigerian children.

Some of the obstacles, he said include inadequate evidence-based policy and planning, limited budget allocation, significant shortages of qualified teachers and classrooms, poor infrastructure, cultural norms, health and safety worries, and dependence on children for income and household tasks.

UNICEF then expressed deep concerned with the rate of out-of-school children, and low learning achievement in the country, especially in the North-East and North-West subregions.

Tushar Rane assured that in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), “We have developed the National Framework of Action to Reduce the Number of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria and the Retention, Transition, and Completion Model which ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

“As you will see over the next two days, this framework and RTC model will guide your respective states in confronting the OOSC phenomenon, strengthening the community accountability and mobilization, use of innovations and technologies to increase access to quality learning and financing of OOSC in the state,” he said.

He then encouraged open dialogue, active participation, and the sharing of insights during the two-day engagement saying, “I envisage that after this meeting, we will have clear, targeted, and state-specific strategies that will further ensure that we reduce the rate of out-of-school children and enhance retention, transition, and completion.

“Your presence here underscores the commitment and dedication you have toward the crucial cause of education in your states,” he added.

The UNICEF CFO assured that, “Our deliberations over the next two days will bring out a collective commitment to creating and implementing models for the reduction of the number of out-of-school children and increasing the retention, transition, and completion of adolescent girls and boys in secondary education.”

In her remarks, Gombe State Commissioner of Education, Prof Aishatu Maigari said that, “It is going to be very educative, very incisive and it is going to be a robust programme and policy that will be used to mop up the out-of-school children, to make sure they returned to school, to ensure that they stay in school.

“Because, when a child completes Secondary school, their livelihood will change, especially girls, it increases by 10 percent,” he said,

“Research has shown that when you have a father who is interested in the education of his girl child, you will see his girls going farther than expected. I always call on the parents to be committed to the education of their children especially the girl child.”

Krestnews reports that the meeting was attended by Commissioners of Education from the participating States, Executive Secretaries of State SUBEB and other relevant agencies.