The Federal Government has initiated collaboration with Ulamas, Islamic teachers in the North, to address the concerning issue of out-of-school children in the region. The Minister of Education, Yusuf Sununu, made this announcement during the opening ceremony of a two-day education summit organized by the Bauchi State Government in Bauchi.
Minister Sununu emphasized that the rising number of out-of-school children, especially in the northern part of Nigeria, is unacceptable and disheartening. He urged states to follow the Federal Government’s example in engaging Ulamas and taking concerted efforts to reduce the prevalence of out-of-school children.
Efforts are underway to integrate Tsanga/Madrasa schools in the North into Basic Education, and the minister sought the cooperation of Ulamas and school proprietors in this regard. He also called on sub-national levels to establish similar agencies backed by state law to enhance collaboration in addressing the challenges of out-of-school children and granting Tsangaya schools the recognition they deserve.
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State highlighted the success of his administration in reducing the number of out-of-school children from 2.3 million to 700,000 over the past four years. He emphasized the importance of education in defining humanity and pledged to continue efforts until no child of school age is denied access to education.
Governor Mohammed outlined deliberate steps taken by his administration, including the establishment of at least 10 mega schools and three mega Tsangaya centers across the state since 2019. These initiatives aim to address the root causes of the problem and provide comprehensive facilities for effective education and skills development.