By Uzair Adam
With over 837,000 out-of-school children in Kano, the state government has intensified efforts to address the crisis, beginning with a comprehensive assessment tour of rural communities ahead of a planned sensitization campaign.
The Kano State Ministry of Education embarked on the tour to identify the root causes of the problem and engage with communities to find lasting solutions.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to improve access to education, especially in underserved areas.
Led by the State Coordinator for Girl Child Education, Hajiya Amina Kassim, the assessment team visited several rural settlements, including Bange village in Albasu Local Government Area and Mawashi in Garko Local Government Area.
During the visit, the team engaged with parents, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to understand the challenges keeping children out of school.
Speaking to residents, Hajiya Kassim emphasized that poverty, insecurity, and socio-cultural norms are key factors contributing to the alarming number of out-of-school children.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling these challenges, citing the recent declaration of a state of emergency on education as proof of its dedication to reforms.
“The state government is taking bold steps to improve education outcomes, and this tour is a crucial part of that process.
“We will ensure that our sensitization campaign reaches areas most affected by this issue,” she stated.
Vice Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee, Alhaji Garba Adamu Wudil, described the assessment tour as a critical step in designing effective strategies to curb the crisis.
He stressed that direct engagement with communities would provide valuable insights into the complexities surrounding access to education.
In their remarks, the village head of Kafin Malamai in Garko, Mukhtar Aliyu, and the representative of the village head of Bange, Yau Ibrahim Bange, commended the government’s initiative.
They appealed for the establishment of more secondary schools in their communities to accommodate the growing number of students completing junior secondary education.
The government’s assessment tour sets the stage for a more focused and community-driven approach to tackling the out-of-school children crisis in Kano State.