The Gombe State Government has expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school children, revealing that data indicates one in three children in the state are not attending school. Additionally, of those who are enrolled, three out of four are struggling with basic literacy and numeracy skills.
This was highlighted by Dr Aishatu Maigari, the State Commissioner of Education for North-East Nigeria, during a one-day stakeholder meeting on Foundational Literacy Numeracy (FLN) organised by the Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in partnership with UNICEF.
A recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report further reveals that only 25 per cent of Nigerian children in Primary Four, Five, and Six can read or perform simple arithmetic, with many of these issues concentrated in Northern Nigeria.
UNICEF Intervenes
In response to the learning crisis in Gombe State, UNICEF is stepping in to provide support. The Commissioner highlighted that while some children attend school, many struggle to read and learn effectively. Most of these students come from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. UNICEF aims to ensure that no child is left behind in terms of quality and equitable education.
Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ado, Education Specialist at UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, emphasised the need for a multi-sectoral approach to achieve significant improvement. He identified issues related to teachers, school management, and a lack of teaching materials. He stressed the importance of creating safe school environments, proper teacher monitoring, and adopting updated teaching methodologies to address these.
Ado also pointed out that teaching must focus on the right level, starting with assessing students’ understanding and continuously developing teachers’ skills—recent intensive training for teachers aimed to enhance their abilities to improve student learning outcomes.
The stakeholders’ engagement included the State House of Assembly Chairmen on Education and Appropriation, highlighting a commitment to scaling up programs to improve education for all school-age children in the state.
