The United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) says the rate of out-of-school children in Katsina has reduced from 36.9 per cent to 35.5 per cent in the last eight years.

UNICEF chief of Kano field office Rahma Farah disclosed this during a media dialogue in Katsina in collaboration with the Katsina Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.

Mr Farah said the success was recorded due to collaboration between the state government, UNICEF and other partners.

“The number of out-of-school children has been high, with 536,122 children, but it is progressively reducing over the last eight years from 36.9 per cent in 2016 to 35.5 per cent in 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

“It has been projected that the rate will reduce to 30 per cent by 2024 if commitments to education and investments are sustained by the government. The primary school completion rate in Katsina state averages 62.5 per cent compared to the national average of 73.1 per cent and 56.1 per cent for the North-West, respectively.

“Senior Secondary School Completion rates are low, with only 32 per cent of children enrolled completing their education MICS 2021,” he said.

Mr Farah pointed out that it was important to note that Katsina has a positive gender parity index of one at the primary level, meaning there are nearly equal numbers of girls and boys in primary school.

According to him, the transition rate to secondary school in Katsina state is 69.5 per cent lower than the national average of 84 per cent and the northwest average of 70 per cent, with fewer girls transitioning to secondary school than boys.

Only 9.2 per cent and 13.3 per cent of children in Grade 3 demonstrated reading and numeracy skills in Katsina compared to the national average of 26.8 and 25.3 in reading and numeracy skills, respectively.

Mr Farah said that UNICEF and other partners also supported the government in launching a strategy that provides equal opportunities to all children to enrol, participate, transition and complete school by children in Frontline areas.

He added that the state was supported in creating an environment that enabled second-chance education for girls through re-entry guidelines that provide opportunities for pregnant and married girls to re-enrol and complete their education.

(NAN)