By Adeyemi Adekunle
To tackle the persistent issue of out-of-school children in Kaduna State, Governor Uba Sani has unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at transforming the educational landscape of the region. This declaration came during the opening of the Reaching Out-Of-School Children (ROOSC) start-up workshop held on Monday in Kaduna.
Governor Sani highlighted the alarming number of out-of-school children, particularly those with disabilities, as a critical barrier to inclusive development in the state. “The challenges in our educational sector are undeniable, but my administration is determined to confront them head-on,” he stated.
The governor outlined a multi-faceted approach to enhance educational access, which includes improving infrastructure, enhancing teacher capabilities, leveraging technology, prioritizing girl-child education, and bolstering security measures. Under his administration, 62 new secondary schools—39 junior and 23 senior—have already been constructed across the three senatorial zones, catering to the escalating demand for quality education.
“We are also moving forward with the construction of 50 additional secondary schools. The procurement process for this ambitious initiative is well underway, and once completed, we expect to enroll over 100,000 new students,” Sani confirmed, reiterating the state’s dedication to inclusive and accessible education.
In tandem with expanding school facilities, the administration has successfully built 2,326 new classrooms and renovated 707 existing ones. Additionally, over 30,000 two-seater desks have been supplied to accommodate students, and 51 hand pump boreholes have been installed to ensure access to clean water in schools.
About 2,000 qualified teachers are in the pipeline, poised for deployment to these newly established institutions to bolster the quality of teaching and learning. The administration has also equipped educators by distributing instructional materials to over 1.48 million students and training more than 26,000 teachers and school support staff in essential skills such as computer literacy and classroom management. A reported data released by Gov. Uba Sani earlier this year, pinpoints that out-of-school population in his state has decreased by 300,000 since April 2024.
Governor Sani proudly announced a notable improvement in the 2023 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) results conducted by NECO, underscoring the positive impact of these initiatives.
As Kaduna State takes these ambitious strides towards educational reform, it aims to not only reduce the number of out-of-school children but also to foster an environment where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to thrive.
