Unveiling the Invisible: UNICEF Launches Out-of-School Children Mapping in Bauchi.
In a collaborative effort to ensure all children receive basic education, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bauchi State government have deployed a team of 325 enumerators and 40 supervisors across the state. The development is part of efforts to ascertain the actual number of out-of-school children and facilitate their return to classrooms to receive basic education.
During a field visit to communities in Toro, Katagum, Giade, and Misau Local Government Areas, the UNICEF field team encountered families with children not enrolled in school. Enumerators collected data on these children and discussed with parents about potential barriers to their education.
Aisha Abubakar, one of the enumerators, who spoke with the A on the team, said that the exercise would last for a week.
She said, “What we do is to meet the head of a household, ask about the number of kids not in school and input their information on our computerised records.
“I have been going from door to door, meeting parents for the information. They have been cooperating and are glad to enrol their kids in school. Although some of them are giving economic hardship as an excuse to keep their children out-of-school.
“We have observed that they are using these children in school during school hours but we have been encouraging them to prioritise education over farming.”
Also speaking, one of the parents, Sani Abubakar said that he has 19 children and is ready to enrol all of them in school as soon as all arrangements are completed.
He said, “A child without education is like a waste. In my own case, I’m 77 years old but I just finished secondary school in 2007 when I have wives and children. I will not want a situation similar to mine.”
On his part, the Officer in Charge of UNICEF, Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Adams Clement, said that the mapping activity would enable the state to know the actual number of children that are out of school, for effective planning.
He said that the mapping is a comprehensive household survey for out-of-school children towards actualizing the state’s strategic plans to reduce the number and rate of out-of-school children.
Clement said “It will also increase public participation and respond to the global targets of achieving education for all (EFA) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) targets.
“The mapping would help to obtain information on out-of-school children and the possible reasons responsible for their being out of school.
“To gather adequate information that will inform its decision-making for education planning, especially for the marginalised and vulnerable children in the state.
“Also, to guide the planning and implementation of enrolment campaigns and targeted advocacy for enrolment, attendance, and transition at basic education (BE) and senior secondary school levels.
“It is to obtain a comprehensive database for out of school children in the State. To recommend to the Bauchi State Government on policies and programs to reduce the number of out-of-school children.”
