UNICEF Activities Winds Down Number Of Out Of School Children In Kebbi

By Haruna Usman,Birnin Kebbi

Alarmed by the number of out of school children in Kebbi,united nations children education fund (UNICEF) has step up efforts to decrease the number through its sustained activities in the state.

The state UNICEF focal officer Musa Altine Ajannare said that one of majors taken are cash transfer to parents whose children are yet to be enrolled in western schools to acquire the basic education due to poverty and lack of awareness.

He explained that for them to succeed they introduced mass campaigns through mothers association (MAs) who visits the doorsteps of parents to find out why children are not enrolled in school,while the school based management committee is in charge of the activities going on the school,their primary functions according to him are  to ensure good relationship between parents and the school management for effective performance.

He added that each school has ten units of mothers associations (MAs) who are working hand in hand with the school based committee for monitoring and evaluation of the schools under them ,he said only UNICEF focused schools so far are enjoying the education intervention.

To boost the morale of teachers he stated that periodically teachers are engaged in capacity building training.

He confirmed that UNICEF intervention in education to a very large extent has forced down the number of out of school children in Kebbi it has instead increased the number of students enrollments in the state, he called on parents to send children to Western schools for them to know their rights and have means of livelihood he thanked Kebbi government for releasing its counter funds without which the entire exercise wouldn’t  have been  possible