The federal government has outlined plans to ensure that over one million out-of-school children across the country return to the mainstream education system.

Education minister Tunji Alausa stated this at the ongoing 69th summit of the National Council of Education in Akure.

Mr Alausa said that children from 12,600 communities across the country would be enrolled, especially those aged six to nine, into low-cost private schools.

According to him, others will be enrolled in schools and training centres in collaboration with the Almajiri Commission.

He noted that over 21,000 out-of-school children across the nooks and crannies of Abuja had been identified and handed over to the Federal Capital Territory Education Secretariat for enrolment.

Mr Alausa added that, in pursuance of the initiative, the ministry had established 109 functional learning centres/transit schools across the 36 states and the FCT, stating that 15,224 learners had been enrolled through the enrolment drive.

The minister stated that a hybrid curriculum, combining Quranic education with literacy, numeracy, and civic education, had been introduced to facilitate the integration of Quranic learning with formal education.

He further said that the President Bola Tinubu Legacy Skills and Training Institute currently serves as a model centre for equipping Almajiri and out-of-school youths with employable skills.

The minister asked participants at the 69th Summit to come out with a resolve to build an education system that would be data-driven, professionally anchored, inclusive, and globally competitive.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa commended the visionary stance of Mr Tinubu in education and human capital development across the country.

Mr Aiyedatiwa said the summit’s theme addresses the contemporary challenges directly confronting the Nigerian education system and offers a clear roadmap for reform.

The governor urged all stakeholders to collaborate in developing a data-driven educational ecosystem that fosters excellence, equity, and innovation. He noted that the teaching profession in Nigeria has been unable to receive the recognition and respect it truly deserves.

Mr Aiyedatiwa said that his administration had invested in digital education and technology-based learning tools to prepare learners for the demands of the 21st-century knowledge economy.

Deputy education minister Suwaiba Ahmad said that the 69th meeting of the council aimed to advance the education system across the country in line with the best global practices.

Ms Ahmad stated that the resolutions of the council’s meeting would be worked on to achieve a fruitful outcome that would address the challenges confronting the sector.

The commissioner for education in Ondo, Igbekele Ajibefun, said that the state fully aligned with the federal government’s data-driven reform in the sector.

Mr Ajibefun stated that the state had made provisions for conducive teaching and learning with digital capabilities to improve education and nurture future leaders. He asked participants to provide useful information that would proffer solutions for the advancement of education.

(NAN)