The Jigawa State House of Assembly has declared a state of emergency on education in a bid to address the alarming rate of out-of-school children in the state.
This was announced by Speaker Haruna Dangyatum during a one-day meeting with legislators organized by the Jigawa State Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Kaduna on Saturday.
The declaration follows a report by the Jigawa State Bureau of Statistics, revealing that 38.5% of children aged 5 to 14 are not in school, while 32.3% of youths aged 15 to 17 did not attend school.
Describing the situation as “alarming,” Mr. Dangyatum emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue and announced plans for intervention at the constituency level.
“I ordered honourable members to move to their wards in order to investigate the figures in their areas so that we can synergize and bring a lasting solution,” he said.
“We have been trusted by our people; therefore, it is an obligation on us to address this issue, even if it means using our personal resources.”
Abubakar Jallo, representing Hadejia State Constituency, stressed the need for collective efforts to combat the problem, urging stakeholders in the education sector to make clear distinctions between out-of-school children and pupils of informal Qur’anic schools, also known as “Almajiri.”
“Whenever the issue of out-of-school children arises, our minds take us to the Almajiri, who are in the informal schools. But we have failed to admit that there are children in our communities who don’t even have access to both formal and informal education for one reason or another,” Jallo explained.
Haruna Adamu, chairman of SUBEB, pledged to work closely with the legislators to ensure their commitment is followed through.
“We have a good working relationship with the legislature, and we will give close monitoring to ensure each member obeys the directive,” Adamu stated.
In addition, the Jigawa Assembly signed a partnership agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to enhance collaboration and ensure effective intervention in tackling the out-of-school children issue in the state.
