UNICEF laments over High Rate of Out-of-School Children

Despite the value of education, over 10 million school-age children in Nigeria are not attending school, which worries the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Therefore, it reaffirmed its dedication to working with traditional/religious stakeholders, school-based management committees, and youths in Bauchi State to ensure effective education and mobilization of parents, guardians, and communities on the significance of enrolling all school-age children in schools.

At a media dialogue on “Out of School Children in Bauchi State,” held yesterday at the Chartwell Hotel in the state’s Misau Local Government Area, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, Dr. Tushar Rane, emphasized the importance of education for any nation’s development.

He also emphasized that although access to education is a fundamental right that enables children to realize their full potential, he lamented that “it is deeply worrying that due to various factors, A sizable number of kids in Bauchi State are denied access to this basic freedom, depriving them of their hopes and aspirations.

The head of UNICEF’s field office stated, “We cooperate with the government to increase planning for improved education delivery.

“We also encourage the government to get rid of structural obstacles that prevent kids from getting a good education.

Additionally, he stated that in order to effectively raise awareness of and mobilize communities, parents, and guardians about the value of enlisting all school-age children in schools, we will be working with traditional/religious stakeholders, school-based management committees, and youths during this year’s enrollment drive campaign. It is also necessary to involve the media.

Yakubu Ahmed, the director of administration and human resources, submitted a report to the state ministry of education that agreed that the problem of out-of-school children is a threat that requires various strategies to address.

He emphasized that strategies must be developed based on the unique needs of each area, emphasizing that no two problems can be the same, making it all the more important to conduct a thorough analysis to determine the needs of the area.

Ahmed promised that the Ministry of Education would keep working with UNICEF and other key organizations in the education field to find effective ways to address the problem of out-of-school children in the state.