Tackling Out-of-school Children Scourge with BESDA in Katsina

Francis Sardauna writes that the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme has significantly reduced the out-of-school children crisis in Katsina State

Tackling the scourge of out-of-school children has become imperative in Katsina State in the light of myriads of social vices inherently tied to the problem. These out-of-school children eventually become adults, with no formal education, and therefore bereft of ideas or motivation to boldly contemplate life without indulgence in heinous activities.

It is therefore on account of the compelling urgency for taming the scourge that the World Bank, through the federal government in 2019, commenced the implementation of its $21 million Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) in 22 local governments out of the 34 local government areas in Katsina State in order to increase equitable school access for all children.

Additionally, 13 local governments were later selected in the state for the World Bank intervention programme for intensive literacy programme, using the Reading and Numeracy Activity (RANA) and Jolly Phonics models as part of efforts to strengthen accountability for results in basic or elementary education in the state.

The five-year BESDA intervention programme is implemented in the state through three thematic areas – increase in the equitable access to children’s education, improving literacy and system strengthening – are geared towards eradicating the out-of-school syndrome which has been a nightmare for educationalists in the state.

These thematic areas are aimed at enhancing the enrolment and retention of learners (especially girls); supporting improvement in literacy; strengthening schools through capacity building of education managers and monitoring, technical and field officers on project management, data collection, analysis and reporting.

It also seeks to conduct annual school census and improve monitoring and evaluation system, data utilization, learning environment and sanitation. In the first phase of the programme, 1,004 conventional primary schools were selected in the state.

In order to achieve the literacy aspect of the programme, 224 master trainers and mentors were identified, screened and trained on Reading and Numeracy Activity pedagogy and on how to step down the knowledge gained or acquired to 5,161 teachers across the state.

To ensure accountability and sustainability of the programme in the state, the state’s government inaugurated an implementation committee headed by the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Lawal Buhari Daura, while the monitoring team is under the supervision of the state’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Badamasi Lawal Charanchi.

The committees immediately went into action, identified and integrated 55 Qur’anic schools and registered 25,922 Al-majirai from across the selected local governments. They equally identified and trained 540 facilitators and mentors between 2019 to date.

Within the period under review, the Better Education Service Delivery for All had returned no fewer than 361,525 out-of-school children to different schools across the selected local governments in the state which represent 36 per cent of its set target. 255 Qur’anic schools were also integrated into the formal education sector in the state.

For effective and efficient learning to thrive, 1,550,616 learning materials, comprising both textbooks, teachers’ guide and writing materials, have been procured and distributed to thousands of formal and non-formal learning centres across the benefiting local governments. 25,922 mats were also procured and distributed to the non-formal centres.

Renewed priority attention by the implementers of the BESDA programme towards curbing out- of –school children, led to the purchase and distribution of 90,000 pairs of school uniforms, sandals and bags to formal and non-formal learning centres as well as the construction of learning shades and boreholes in 25 learning centres.

To boost e-learning and monitoring of the programme, two dynamic websites were established at SUBEB and the state’s Ministry of Education, while 1,500 monitoring tabs, 40 laptop computers were procured and shared to the BESDA’s monitoring team. 400 copies of admission registers and 20,000 white boards were equally distributed to schools in the state.

Addressing journalists last Friday on the achievements of the BESDA programme in Katsina, Daura said 7,378 personnel, including technical team, management, head teachers, centre facilitators, mentors, SBMC and teachers had been trained on capacity building.

Under the programme, he said, 2,136 facilitators and 394 proprietors of integrated Qur’anic schools, as well as mentors, had been receiving monthly allowances of N15,000 each in order to ensure effective and efficient service delivery in the education sector.

He explained that the government, through the BESDA programme, had provided grants of N362,944 to 945 schools across the state, adding that one block of two classrooms, office, store and 2,856 sets of furniture have been provided to 60 schools.

Daura said: “We also procured two Hilux vehicles for monitoring and distributed 250 sets of first aid boxes with supplement to learning centres. Training of 100 gender, legal, zonal coordinators and six GBV service providers on school related gender-based violence, response mechanism, referral and pathways channels, child right and code of conduct was also done.

“We equally produced 6,000 copies of Code of Conduct for Integrated Qur’anic schools (IQS) facilitators and proprietors. 145 Samsung (Tab A7 lite) tablets were also procured and distributed to 34 LGAS regulating team by the BESDA programme in Katsina state.”

Consequently, the SUBEB boss called on the World Bank, through the federal government, to consider the extension of the programme beyond its closing month of October this year because of the programme’s significant impacts on the lives of the citizenry in the state.

He added, “I would like to express our deep appreciation to the federal government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for providing us with these grants to develop the basic education in the state. I would like to also express our appreciation to Governor Aminu Bello Masari for all the necessary support given to us towards the development of basic education in the state.”

Education remains a leveller that must be accorded priority if Katsina, which has an estimated population of eight million people, must overcome the present hydra-headed monster of insecurity.

Therefore, it is a matter of priority for the state government to keep up with the current momentum in tackling the challenge of out-of-school children as future prosperity and stability of the country depend on success recorded. The government should also ensure that the Better Education Service Delivery for All, BESDA, is sustained.