The Kano government on Monday said it has recorded an 11.3 per cent reduction in the number of out-of-school children.

The education commissioner, Ali Abubakar-Makoda, disclosed this while flagging off the distribution of learning materials to 5,022 learners under the Accelerated Basic Education Programme who are due for transition to formal schools in the state.

ABEP is a European Union-funded project implemented by Plan International in three council areas (Nassarawa, Kumbotso and Gwale).

Mr Abubakar-Makoda attributed the high number of out-of-school children in Kano to population pressure and the influx of people into the state. He, however, commended Plan International and other development partners for their interventions, which he said had contributed to the results achieved in reducing the number of out-of-school children.

The commissioner urged the development partners to sustain the tempo of support to the government and expand the intervention beyond the three LGAs.

The advocacy and campaign officer for Plan International, Alhassan Hamza-Hussaini, said they were implementing ABEP in three local government areas: Nassarawa, Kumbotso and Gwale. He said they started implementing the programme in the state in 2024, and after one year, it has mainstreamed 6,000 children into the formal school system.

Mr Hamza-Hussaini noted that the learning materials were meant for 5,022 learners due to the transition to classes such as Primary 4, Junior Secondary School (JSS) 1, and Senior Secondary School (SS) 1.

He said support helped reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state because they identified a key factor preventing them from going to school: a lack of resources to provide school uniforms, writing materials, and more.

(NAN)