Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has described the large number of out-of-school children, including those with disabilities, as a significant challenge to inclusive development.
Sani, however, listed what his administration has been doing to tackle the out-of-school children problem.
The governor made this known while declaring the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Start-Up Workshop open in Kaduna on Monday, November 25, 2024.
According to him, the Kaduna State Government has identified access to quality education and provision of infrastructure as key challenges of the education sector in the northern region of Nigeria.
“We set out to tackle the key challenges in the educational sector in Kaduna State in six ways: improving access, building and rehabilitating education infrastructure to ensure conducive learning environment, building capacity of teachers, harnessing the capacity of ICT to improve access, quality and management of education, prioritising girl-child education, and strengthening security in the state,” he said.
Governor Sani said his administration has built 62 new secondary schools, comprising 39 Junior and 23 Senior Secondary Schools, across the three Senatorial zones to cater to the growing educational needs of Kaduna State.
Sani stated: “Recognising the continued demand for quality education, approval has been given for the construction of an additional 50 secondary schools across the state. The procurement process for this ambitious project is currently in its advanced stages.
“Upon completion, these new schools are expected to enrol over 100,000 students, further solidifying Kaduna State’s commitment to providing inclusive and accessible education for all.
Uba Sani: Kaduna made history with free fertilizer distribution
“The administration has also constructed 2,326 new classrooms, renovated 707 classrooms, supplied 30,742 two-seater pupil’s furniture, provided 3,704 teachers furniture, and constructed 918 VIP cubicle toilets and 51 hand pump boreholes in schools across the state.”
Sani added that 2,000 qualified teachers have been recruited, awaiting deployment to the newly completed schools, to ensure effective teaching and learning.
According to him, the Kaduna State Government has distributed 1,482,816 instructional materials and trained over 26,000 teachers, head teachers, and school support officers on basic computer skills, classroom management, literacy and numeracy skills, and school management information systems.
The governor said the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority (KSSQAA) has also recorded significant achievements in the areas of quality of education and system strengthening.
“Kaduna State students’ performance improved significantly in the latest NECO SSCE results, with 67% of students achieving 5 credits and above (including Maths and English), compared to 54% in 2022,” Sani said.
The governor lamented that although “our administration is making steady progress in improving access to education, infrastructure and quality of teaching. But the number of children who are out of school remains a major concern to us.”
“We are determined to decisively tackle the problem on a larger scale and chart the path to a better future for our poor, vulnerable and underserved children,” he added.
Sani, therefore, thanked the international partners, especially the Islamic Development Bank, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and the Global Partnership for Education for their support and encouragement.
- 4 drug kingpins jailed, forfeit houses, N67m, $50,000 to FG - December 26, 2024
- Group to FG: Implement 2025 budget with human face - December 26, 2024
- Good destroyed as fire guts Anambra shops on Christmas day - December 26, 2024
