By Sani Idris-Abdulrahman
The Kaduna State Government says it will train 8,700 School Based Management Committee (SBMC) members to improve basic education in the state.
Mubarak Muhammad, acting Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB), disclosed this at the opening of a six-day training of 92 Social Mobilisation Officers (SMOs) on Monday in Kaduna.
The training is supported by UNICEF in collaboration with the Kaduna Government and the Reaching Out-of-School-Children (ROOSC) project, among other development partners.
The 92 SMOs cut across the state’s 23 LGAs and would serve as master trainers who would cascade the training to SBMCs across the LGAs.
Muhammad explained that the training, which was part of the ROOSC project, aimed to equip the officials with necessary skills to bridge the gap between the government and communities.
He added that the training would cover school leadership, communication skills and resource mobilisation.
“The officials will be equipped to mobilise resources and support for schools; ultimately improving education outcomes in Kaduna state,” he said.
Muhammad also said it would focus on how to mobilise children back to school, addressing the out-of-school children phenomenon in the state.
He stated that Gov. Uba Sani’s administration has been working to reduce the number of out-of-school children, adding the training was expected to have significant impact on the basic education subsector.
The KADSUBEB acting boss restated the state government’s commitment to building the capacity of its citizens and ensuring a brighter future for its young people.
The UNICEF Education Officer, Kaduna Field Office, Mr Bala Dada, lamented that the state was facing a significant out-of-school children crisis.
“According to a 2022 KDBS survey, 768,000 children of basic school age currently not in formal education.
“The ROOSC project by Kaduna state government and partners aims to reintegrate at least 200,000 of these children back into school,” he said.
Dada stated that through collaboration, UNICEF and other partners leveraged community structures and government support to tackle the root causes of children being out of school.
This, according to him, could be poverty, insecurity or lack of awareness.
He contended that the SBMCs remained the most powerful community structures for ensuring school enrolment, retention, transition, and effective management of primary education.
“SBMCs bring together parents, teachers and local leaders to support schools.
“They bridge the gap between communities and the education system, helping to keep children in school and learning.
“In the push to reduce out-of-school children, our greatest asset is community involvement through these SBMCs,” he said.
Dada submitted that during the training, the master trainers would empower the SBMC members with the skills and knowledge to mobilise their communities.
He added that it would also help identify out-of-school children and support the children’s enrolment and successful progression through school.
According to him, UNICEF is counting on SBMCs to transform community attitudes and ensure every child is welcomed into a safe learning environment.
The education officer said UNICEF’s
partnership extends technical expertise, funding and monitoring support, while the government provides the policy backing and personnel to drive change on the ground.
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