Kano State has recorded an 11.3% reduction in the number of out-of-school children, with education authorities crediting interventions by Plan International and other development partners.
Kano State has recorded an 11.3% reduction in the number of out-of-school children, according to the state Commissioner for Education, Ali Abubakar-Makoda.
Makoda disclosed this on Monday in Kano while flagging off the distribution of learning materials to 5,022 learners under the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP).
The learners are due to transition into the formal school system after participating in the programme, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by Plan International in three local government areas of the state — Nassarawa, Kumbotso and Gwale.
The commissioner attributed the high number of out-of-school children in Kano to population pressure and the influx of people into the state.
He, however, credited interventions by Plan International and other development partners with contributing to the reduction recorded in the number of children outside the formal education system.
“There is no doubt, Plan International has really assisted Kano State in many ways,” Makoda said, noting that the state government inherited significant challenges in the education sector.
He said the decline in the number of out-of-school children was a welcome development but urged development partners to sustain their interventions and extend them beyond the three participating local government areas.
The Advocacy and Campaign Officer for Plan International, Alhassan Hamza-Hussaini, said the ABEP was designed for children aged between 10 and 18 who had either never attended school or dropped out.
He explained that the programme provides beneficiaries with basic education and vocational skills before supporting their transition into formal schools.
According to Hussaini, Plan International began implementing the programme in Kano in 2024 and had, after one year, mainstreamed 6,000 children into the formal school system.
The 5,022 learners receiving learning materials are expected to transition into various classes, including Primary 4, Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) and Senior Secondary School 1 (SS1).
Hussaini said the intervention also addressed some practical barriers preventing children from attending school, including the inability of families to provide uniforms and writing materials.
The Ward Head of Zuwachiki West and Public Relations Officer of the Centre-Based Management Committee (CBMC), Zubairu Almu, said the programme had helped return many out-of-school children to education.
He said the initiative had given beneficiaries renewed opportunities to continue their studies and improve their future prospects.
The latest reduction cited by the Kano education commissioner comes amid continuing efforts by government and development partners to address the state’s large out-of-school population. Earlier in September, Makoda also described Kano as a major centre of the Almajiri system and said recent interventions had contributed to an 11.3% decline in the number of out-of-school children.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
