FG Rates Katsina Second Highest Out-Of-School Children State

The federal government last Monday announced that Katsina State
is the second highest in the ranking of out-of-school children in
Nigeria, describing the situation as a worrisome development that
needs an urgent intervention.

The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba,
stated this in his address delivered at the formal launching of
Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme in
Katsina, the state capital.

According to the minister, the Nigerian educational system is
characterised by high level of illiteracy, infrastructural decay,
inadequate number of unqualified teachers and inadequate
instructional facilities hence the launching of BESDA
programme.

He said for the challenges to be tackled, the country must
strengthen the quality of education by confronting head-on all the
factors that denied “our children access to education, the quality
of education we delivered and the outcomes of that education.

“It is in the light of this that we launched BESDA in Katsina.
It is a programme that would result in better life for all of our
children. Its cardinal objectives are to increase the equitable
access, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results
at the basic education level.

“The 17 states that are the focus of this programme are drawn
from seven in the Northwest, six in the Northeast and one from each
of the other zones. Katsina State is the second highest in the
ranking of out-of-school children in Nigeria, and this worries us,
but we have heard that a lot of efforts have already gone into
this, and there is massive improvement in the last six years.”

The minister, however, added that the BESDA programme has
enrolled about one million children “therefore, we can
authoritatively state that the number of out-of-school has
reduced.”

In his remarks, the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, said a
total of 361,525 out-of-school children representing 36 per cent of
the set target has so far enrolled in schools across the state
under the BESDA programme.

“The programme started in the state in September 2019 following
the receipt of $3 million as advance funds with additional $3
million as prior result funds in August 2020,” Masari added.

The federal government last Monday announced that Katsina State
is the second highest in the ranking of out-of-school children in
Nigeria, describing the situation as a worrisome development that
needs an urgent intervention.

The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba,
stated this in his address delivered at the formal launching of
Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme in
Katsina, the state capital.

According to the minister, the Nigerian educational system is
characterised by high level of illiteracy, infrastructural decay,
inadequate number of unqualified teachers and inadequate
instructional facilities hence the launching of BESDA
programme.

He said for the challenges to be tackled, the country must
strengthen the quality of education by confronting head-on all the
factors that denied “our children access to education, the quality
of education we delivered and the outcomes of that education.

“It is in the light of this that we launched BESDA in Katsina.
It is a programme that would result in better life for all of our
children. Its cardinal objectives are to increase the equitable
access, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results
at the basic education level.

“The 17 states that are the focus of this programme are drawn
from seven in the Northwest, six in the Northeast and one from each
of the other zones. Katsina State is the second highest in the
ranking of out-of-school children in Nigeria, and this worries us,
but we have heard that a lot of efforts have already gone into
this, and there is massive improvement in the last six years.”

The minister, however, added that the BESDA programme has
enrolled about one million children “therefore, we can
authoritatively state that the number of out-of-school has
reduced.”

In his remarks, the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, said a
total of 361,525 out-of-school children representing 36 per cent of
the set target has so far enrolled in schools across the state
under the BESDA programme.

“The programme started in the state in September 2019 following
the receipt of $3 million as advance funds with additional $3
million as prior result funds in August 2020,” Masari added.