Out-of-School Children: Edo Records over 40% Enrollment Increase Yearly

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Edo State government, Thursday, said it has recorded a yearly 40 per cent increase in children’s enrollment into Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) since the EdoBEST programme started.

The state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) disclosed this development during a two-day media workshop organised by the Lagos state directorate of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

This update comes after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) data shows Nigeria had 13.5 million out-of-school children in 2021.

The Chairman of Edo SUBEB, Mrs Ozavize Salami, said that the increase in children’s enrollment into ECCDE has culminated in the overall enrollment of children into junior and senior primary schools.

She emphasised that ECCDE one and two provide most enrollment records for ECCDE three and subsequently form one.

Salami added: “95 per cent of pupils in ECCDE three transitioned from ECCDE two.

“90 per cent of pupils in primary one transitioned from ECCDE three; ECCDE one and two currently provide the most
enrollment records for ECCDE three and
subsequently primary one.”

She described early childhood education as developing and molding the whole child, which will be the foundation for their lifelong journey.

In her words, the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo BEST) has enhanced the amount of teaching, teacher technology, and textbooks in each school.

She added: “Teachers deliver high-quality and supportive learning experiences now. Pupils also engage in productive learning activities.”

The SUBED chairman said the state had recorded seven per cent larger learning gains in numeracy.

The chairman continued: “We have recorded six per cent larger learning gains in literacy in EdoBEST schools than non-EdoBEST schools.”

Although UNESCO 2021 data shows Edo state has 76,446 out-of-school children, the state is the lowest in the country.

Thus, she admitted that the EdoBEST programme has significantly improved its basic education and reduced the out-of-school children rate.

Speaking, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Oviawe, assured journalists that the Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has ensured that an Edo child’s education is his priority.

“For the last six years, we have focused on quality education, literacy, and numeracy under our EdoBest education reform programme,” she clarified.

Following its progress in eradicating learning poverty, she recounted how, in 2013, “We are the only state in Nigeria that was selected among other African countries.”

“As an accelerator state,” Oviawe insisted that in the last few years, the state focused on tracking learning patterns.

“We are pushing our learning patterns to be in line with the National standard,” assuring newsmen of their learning assessment programme that helps them assess pupils at each level.

“With the learning assessment, we could measure both aspects from the perspective of the learners and the teachers. Having corrected the foundational literacy and numeracy, we are now at the point in Edo state where we focus on replications.

For those at the higher level, who do not know how to read and write, we cannot just send them away; hence, the government has set up an ‘operation, every child must read and write’ programme.

“The state governor has ensured that we bring education to everybody, regardless of age. You don’t have to go to a physical school to learn how to read and write. We have made the provision available.

You can have your private tutor teach you how to read and write. With all these interventions, Edo state is on the way to having a proper education system that ensures access to education and promotes quality education.”

The Education Specialist UNICEF Nigeria, Babagana Aminu, lamented how COVID-19 increased the learning poverty rate in low-and lower-middle-income countries from 57 per cent to 72 per cent in three years.

He argued that if countries kept their commitments based on their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4) pledges, learning poverty would reduce to 38 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.

“Despite the devastation of COVID-19 on education systems, it has presented opportunities.

“Digital learning was always on the margin as it is a fundamental equity strategy. We are shifting from fixed-time learning to personalised learning, and digital learning is a key enabler,” says Aminu.

Meanwhile, the education specialist commended the Learning Passport (LP) developed by UNICEF, Microsoft, and Cambridge and supported by the Boston Consulting Group.

He described it as a supplementary library of global content, online or offline, with an individualised learning record.

Aminu outlined: “LP provides continuous access to education for all children, youth, and teachers worldwide.

“LP provides continuous access to education for all children, youth, and teachers around the world and drives improved learning outcomes through high-quality, portable education in formal and non-formal education settings,” he stated.

In Nigeria, Aminu disclosed that the Nigerian Learning Passport has helped close the learning gaps in the country.

“With support from Airtel, 520 Primary and Junior Secondary schools and 100 IQS/Non-Formal schools have received devices with LP apps, connected to the internet, with a target to connect 300 more in 2023.

Also, 30,000 teachers were trained in 2022, with a target of 27,000 in 2023. IHS towers have also connected 187 schools and provided connectivity/signal to 400 unconnected communities in 2022 with a target of 200 schools in 2023.

“In the pipeline for end of year 2023, UNICEF intends to provide 100 solar systems (to power devices and modem in schools with no or unreliable electricity) and create 150 offline hub devices.”

“It drives improved learning outcomes through high-quality, portable education in formal and non-formal education settings.”