BY: AMINU SALISU DWOLF, KANO
The government of Kano State through Kano state ministry of Education has commenced an exercise to enumerate children who are not attending school as part of efforts to address the problem of out-of-school children in the state.
The initiative, introduced by the state Ministry of Education is being implemented under a program tagged “Ilmi Gida-Gida” (Education Door-to-Door). The program aims to identify the number of children who are currently out of school and develop strategies to reintegrate them into the formal education system.
According to the Permanent Secretary of the Kano State ministry of Education Malam Bashir Baffa Muhammad, the exercise was designed to obtain accurate data on out-of-school children and to provide solutions that will enable them to return to school and benefit from modern education.
He explained that the program was carefully planned, with field officers receiving proper training before deployment. The initiative is also being carried out in collaboration with the Kano Emirate Council, traditional rulers, and community members.
However, officials involved in the exercise have reported some challenges in certain areas.
Speaking to reporters, the official supervising the operation in Kano Municipal Local Government Area, Malam Ibrahim Ahmad Ado, noted that difficulties were encountered in neighborhoods such as Yakasai B and Indabawa.
He said some community leaders in those areas refused to cooperate with the enumerators and warned that they would not be responsible if anything happened to the officials.
The situation created obstacles for the team, particularly as the neighborhoods have been experiencing security concerns, including activities of phone snatchers and youth gangs. As a result, enumerators were forced to withdraw from the areas without completing their work.
Despite these setbacks, other officials reported progress in several locations.
Bala Buk, an officer working in the Tudun Wada axis, confirmed that the exercise recorded success in areas such as Falgore and at Dankade Inuwa Junior Secondary School in Tudun Wada.
Lastly, the officials of the Kano State Ministry of Education, on behalf of the state government, expressed appreciation to residents who have been cooperating with the enumerators, noting that community support is vital for the success of the program.