In an effort to decrease the number of children who do not attend school, the Kaduna State Government has introduced measures to reintegrate more than 100,000 children into educational institutions within the coming four years through their Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) initiative.
This information came to light during a two-day ROOSC workshop for media professionals, which took place in conjunction with Save the Children at the Alhsan Metro Hotel in Kaduna over the weekend.
Opening the workshop, Salisu Baba Lawal, who represents the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, disclosed that the ROOSC is a four-year program initiated in April 2024 and set to conclude in 2028.
He stated that the program intends to increase student enrollment, enhance teaching standards, establish a secure and supportive educational setting, and reinforce the education system for improved outcomes.
“So far, our aim is to focus on nine Local Government Areas (LGAs), with three coming from each of the three Senate districts within the state. To date, we have trained 405 teachers and plan to conduct additional training sessions as we firmly believe that having competent educators is crucial for the program’s success,” Lawal explained.
As per his statement, 102 schools have already been built, and an additional 170 schools are undergoing renovation at present.
He highlighted the Kaduna State Government’s dedication to getting street-roaming children back into classrooms, noting, “We are collaborating with Save the Children and UNICEF to make this happen.”
The state government is dedicated to ensuring that all children go to school irrespective of their origins,” he stated. “The media plays a crucial role in attaining the overarching objectives of the ROOSC initiative.
Additionally, Mr. Emmanuel Mbursa Madu, the Project Director of ROOSC at Save the Children International (SCI), highlighted that this project is a collaborative effort funded by multiple donors. It aims to assist Kaduna State in providing high-quality primary education equitably and inclusively to all children within the designated primary school age range (ages 6-11) as well as adolescents and young adults aged between 12 and 18.
He indicated that the project’s approaches and actions are designed with gender sensitivity, aimed at aiding those who are less privileged, and fostering inclusion within the realm of primary education provision.
“This represents a collaboration involving Save the Children International (SCI) alongside UNICEF and various other parties aimed at tackling the critical problem of children who are not attending school,” stated Madu.
He also noted that the ROOSC project is a significant program led by the Kaduna State Government under the leadership of its Executive Governor, Senator Uba Sani, aimed at addressing the issue of out-of-school children throughout the state.
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