The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over the fact that 10.2 million children of primary school age and an extra 8.1 million children at the junior secondary level are out of school in Nigeria. Dr. Tushar Rane, chief of the Bauchi UNICEF field office, shared important information during a goodwill message at a regional stakeholders meeting which took place at the Emerald Hotel Hall in Gombe, Gombe State over two days. The meeting focused on addressing the issues of out-of-school children and implementing models for their retention, transition, and completion in Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa states.
Nigeria is facing a significant issue with education, as it has the highest number of out-of-school children worldwide. A mere 63 percent of primary school-aged children are attending school regularly. Transitioning to junior secondary Education after completing primary school is only successful for 84 percent of children, based on the 2021 multiple indicator cluster survey. Shockingly, out of the 5.9 million children who start in primary grade 1 every year in Nigeria, only around 2.4 million manage to reach junior secondary grade 3, which is less than half of the total number.
Various barriers hinder regular attendance, timely enrollment.
Between 2011 and 2021, data from the MICS reports revealed a concerning rise in dropout rates among students of all genders in the northern region of the country. The primary-level dropout rate climbed from 1% in 2011 to 5% in 2021, reflecting a noticeable increase across all wealth quintiles during the same period. In the past decade, dropout rates at the primary level have surged among students from both the lowest and highest wealthy 1 out of 5. The proportion of students dropping out from the poorest quintile jumped from 2% to 6% between 2011 and 2021, while the dropout rate for students in the wealthiest quintile rose from 1% to 4% during the same period.
This persistent trend indicates that the education system in Nigeria is currently struggling to keep students enrolled and engaged in learning, especially in the North-East and North-West regions. Various barriers hinder regular attendance, timely enrollment, and successful completion of education for children in Nigeria. Challenges such as lack of evidence-based policy and planning, limited funding, shortage of qualified teachers and classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, cultural barriers, concerns about health and safety, and reliance on children for household chores and income contribute to the difficulties faced in the education system.
A comprehensive plan was developed to address the issues.
Moreover, UNICEF has shown great consternation over the high number of children not attending school and the poor academic performance in the nation, particularly in the subregions of North-East and North-West. Working alongside The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Tushar Rane assured that they have developed a comprehensive plan to address the issues of out-of-school children in Nigeria. This model, known as the “National Framework of Action to Reduce the Number of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria”, focuses on improving retention rates, transitions, and completion rates for students, ultimately aiming to provide quality education for all and foster a Culture of lifelong learning in the country.
He further explained that the framework and RTC model is essential to help states address the issue of out-of-school . By strengthening community accountability, utilizing innovations and technologies, and increasing access to quality learning through financing, states can make significant progress in tackling this issue. He also urged participants to engage in open dialogue, actively participate, and share insights to enhance the effectiveness of the approach. He expected that following the meeting, specific strategies tailored to each state will be established to decrease the number of out-of-school children and improve their retention, transition, and successful completion.
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Commenting on the initiative, Prof. Aishatu Maigari, the Education Commissioner of Gombe State, emphasized the importance of the program as a comprehensive and impactful policy designed to address the issue of out-of-school children. The goal is to not only re-enroll these children in school but also to promote their continuous attendance and participation. Making a seamless shift from primary to junior high school to senior high school will pave the way for students to emerge as active members of society.