Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, emphasized the urgent need to address the escalating number of out-of-school children, particularly in northern Nigeria, describing it as a time bomb.
He conveyed this concern during the 2023 Bauchi Education Summit held at Dr Saad Abubakar Hajj Camp, Bauchi, under the theme ‘Nurturing a flourishing future: Improving access and quality education in Bauchi State.’
According to recent data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in three children in Nigeria is out of school, totaling 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the Junior Secondary School (JSS) level.
Governors from various northern states, including Uba Sani of Kaduna and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, have also shared alarming figures, with estimates ranging from 500,000 to 680,000 out-of-school children in their respective states.
Minister Sununu stressed the unacceptability and disheartening nature of this rising trend, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to address and reverse it.
He highlighted the establishment of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children by the federal government, set to commence activities aimed at integrating Tsangaya/Madarasa schools into Basic Education.
Sununu urged the support of Ulamas, school proprietors, and sub-national levels to establish similar agencies, backed by state laws, to enhance collaboration in addressing out-of-school children issues.
The minister concluded by commending Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State for his dedication to improving the standard and quality of education in the state.
The summit focused on a comprehensive assessment of the state of education in Bauchi, addressing issues such as the number of out-of-school children, their demographics, and the impact of various challenges on education.
He added, “To convene all stakeholders, government officials, educators, parents, civil society organisations, and development partners to collaboratively address the state’s education challenges. To develop evidence-based programmes, policies and strategies towards addressing the challenges and strengthening our capacities and existing efforts.
“The summit will explore avenues for mobilising financial and human resources to support educational programmes and projects within the state; to devise innovative strategies for creating conducive learning environments, including repairing and revitalising schools.
“To actively involve all stakeholders, local and external, by increasing awareness and mobilising their support in our efforts to enhance the education sector in Bauchi State. To develop, discuss and implement specific interventions and initiatives tailored to address Bauchi State’s unique education challenges.”
3,963 Teachers Fail Qualifying Exam Nationwide
Meanwhile, the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, (TRCN) Prof, Josiah Ajiboye, yesterday said 3,963 teachers who sat for the November 2023 diet of the Professional Qualifying Examination for teachers across the country failed.
The November diet, conducted by the TRCN to test the professional knowledge of those in the teaching profession, commenced on November 23 and ended on November 25.
AJiboyi, during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Monday, said a total of 15,753 teachers sat for the examination at 38 centres across the country, out of which 10,636 (72.9 per cent) passed and 3,963 failed.
“I think you will agree with me that it is a very good result as 72.9% of the candidates actually passed. Yes. That’s 10,600 seats out of 15,753, you agree with me that is a very good result. So, that is where we are presently,” he said.
He said other candidates were absent while others had their results cancelled due to examination malpractices and that all cases of malpractices reported were treated accordingly at the management level and their result was cancelled.
“All cases of examination malpractice were identified; they were caught on records because we have evidence against them. And then the cases were treated and discussed at the management level and their results were cancelled,” he said.
He said the council would continue to work towards the improvement of the teaching profession in Nigeria.
Speaking on qualified teachers, he said the council had 2.3 million teachers now registered, out of which over 400 000 had been licensed.
He said the council would beam its searchlight on the private schools in 2024, saying, “Over 83 per cent of teachers in public schools in Nigeria are qualified. The same thing cannot be said of teachers in private school.”
“A large percentage, less than 50 per cent of teachers in private schools are qualified. So, a large percentage of teachers in private schools are not even teachers in the first instance. They are not qualified to be in the class because a large number of them did not really do anything. They just find themselves doing the job,” he said.
While noting that it is getting clearer that teaching is not an all comers jobs, he said the council would take it up with states that were yet to employ teachers in the last 10 years, saying “In some states, you will see two to four teachers taking care of all the school with little knowledge on any subjects they teach.
Reacting to the failure of teachers, an educationist, Michael Sule, told Daily Trust that many teachers were not computer illiterate.
“Another factor is that many teachers have not been exposed to regular on the job training and as such may fail exams. So, it is important that they get training as regularly as possible and have adequate preparation before the examination, because teachers failing examinations doesn’t speak well of our education system,” he said.
Chairman, Association of Model Islamic Schools, Abuja Chapter and Founder, Voyage International Schools Abuja, Mallam Yussuff Oriyomi, stressed the need to ensure that the very best apply and study education at tertiary institutions.
“We can’t go far with accidental teachers. All stakeholders need to ensure we retain the very best to engage in teaching and reward them properly.
“As a nation, we need to invest more in teachers’ education, reward teachers and retain them through special offers such as special housing loans, free or discounted education for teachers’ children, among other incentives,” he said.
Ada Peter
