The Kaduna State government unveiled two key policy documents on Wednesday, aimed at transforming the education sector and strengthening security in schools across the state.

The documents, focusing on the annual school census and school safety, were designed to enhance data-driven education planning and provide safer learning environments in response to the rising insecurity in Nigeria.

Speaking at the dissemination workshop on the two policy documents, the Commissioner for Education, Abubakar Sani-Sambo, stated that the safety and security policy would provide a conducive and safe environment for teachers and learners.

“The implication is that the state is setting the pace for the country, and the expectation is that the quality and standards of education will rise.

“Quality over the past two years has started improving, and we want to see that in the next two years, the quality will even go higher so that other states can emulate the good example,” he said

Ezra Angai, the project coordinator for the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Initiative in Kaduna, explained that the policies were being widely disseminated with support from UNICEF.

“We’re ensuring that these reforms are not only documented and domesticated but embedded into the system,” Mr Angai said.

He added that development partners, such as Save the Children International and the Adolescent Girls’ Education (AGILE) programme, were also playing vital roles.

According to him, the united approach by government and development partners shows how collective action can lead to sustainable change in the education sector.

The state chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Busayo Akintunde, expressed strong support for the safe schools initiative,

He stated that the policy would serve as a guide for over 3,000 private school proprietors in the state.

“Some schools may not be meeting the expected standards, but this is an opportunity to improve.

“With access to grants through UBEC and other government support, private schools can align with the vision of a secure and efficient education system,” Mr Akintunde said.

The two documents aare named ‘Annual School Census 2024 to 22025’ and ‘Kaduna State Policy on Safety, Security and Violence Free Schools.’

(NAN)