The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bauchi State government have deployed 325 enumerators and 40 supervisors across the state to ascertain and authenticate the actual number of the children that are yet to be enrolled in primary schools.
The development is part of efforts to ensure that all out-of-school children in the state were mobilised back to the classrooms to receive basic education.
Families with children were giving out the data of the children for documentation and possible return to schools during a field trip organised by UNICEF Bauchi field office team to communities in Toro and the Northern part of the state including Katagum, Giade and Misau LGAs.
One of the enumerators, Aisha Abubakar, who spoke with the journalists said that the exercise would last for a week.
According to her, “What we do is to meet the head of a household, ask about the number of kids not in school and input their information on our computerised records.
“I have been going from door to door, meeting parents for the information. They have been cooperating and are glad to enroll their kids in school. Although some of them are giving economic hardship as an excuse to keep their children out-of-school.”
Abubakar added that, “We have observed that they are using these children in school during school hours but we have been encouraging them to prioritise education over farming.”
A parent, Sani Abubakar, said he has 19 children and is ready to enroll all of them in school as soon as all arrangements are completed.
He said; “A child without education is like a waste. In my own case, I’m 77 years old but I just finished secondary school in 2007 when I have wives and children. I will not want a situation similar to mine.”
UNICEF officer, Bauchi Field Office, Dr Adams Clement, said that the mapping activity would enable the state to know the actual number of children that are out of school, for effective planning.
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