From Edirin Robinson, in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has achieved a milestone in its effort to eradicate educational exclusion, confirming that more than 36,000 out-of-school children have now been successfully restored to formal schools across the state under the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Project.
The announcement was made at LGEA Primary School, Babban Saura, during a ceremony marking the official mainstreaming of a fresh cohort of more than 15,000 learners into formal primary classrooms across 14 local government areas (LGAs).
Speaking at the event, Ezra Angai, the coordinator for the Kaduna State ROOSC Project, said the mainstreaming exercise brings the total number of children successfully restored to learning pathways under the current administration to more than 36,000.
He disclosed that Gov. Uba Sani had tasked the team with returning 100,000 out-of-school children to school and that, as a result of the four-year initiative, more than 36,000 children have been mainstreamed across different learning pathways.
Angai explained that the state achieved these results through data-driven strategies rather than guesswork, noting that initial mapping identified 187,719 out-of-school children across 360,000 households.
To bridge the learning gap before formal enrollment, the project established Catch-Up Clubs (CuC), a three-month remedial program implemented with support from Save the Children International, its technical partner.
The CuC framework evaluates each child’s foundational literacy and numeracy levels, ensuring appropriate placement from Primary One upward, while alternative pathways, such as radio learning and integration with Alaramas and Tsangaya traditional schools, reach remote communities.
Reiterating the state’s commitment, Dr. Mubarak Muhammad, executive chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), emphasized that the initiative aligns with the governor’s 2023 declaration of a state of emergency in education, when out-of-school figures surpassed 535,000.
“What we have witnessed today is part of an ongoing statewide effort. The government has provided learning kits as motivation for these young learners, and we will continue expanding classroom infrastructure, building teacher capacity, and fostering a conducive learning environment for better learning outcomes across the state,” Dr. Mubarak noted, adding that SUBEB was actively conducting monitoring exercises.
To facilitate a seamless transition into formal education, Save the Children International managed the remedial preparation and physical integration process. Emmanuel Mbrusa, project director for Save the Children’s ROOSC Project, explained the organization’s role in handing over the prepared cohorts directly to local school administrators and education secretaries to ensure long-term retention and tracking.
The mainstreaming event drew widespread commendation from school leaders, parents, and community custodians, alongside calls to expand infrastructure to accommodate the surging enrollment.
The school’s head teacher, Rabi’atu Yahya Abdullahi, expressed gratitude to SUBEB and SCI for bringing neighborhood children off the streets and back into classrooms.
However, she appealed for urgent infrastructure support, noting that the school, which was established in 1976, currently serves 2,005 learners with only 12 functional classrooms and requires perimeter fencing.
Similarly, the district head of Baban Saura, Alhaji Dauda Hashimu, appreciated the Kaduna State Government and partner organizations for prioritizing local youth, pointing out that the school grounds have ample land for constructing additional classroom blocks.
Parents of the newly enrolled pupils, Jummai Adamu and Samaila Musa, applauded the ROOSC initiative, the government, and donor partners for empowering vulnerable children and offering them a foundation for a brighter future.
The ROOSC Project is sustained through a multi-partner funding coalition comprising the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, Education Above All (EAA), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Save the Children International, and UNICEF.
