Foreign
THE Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has appreciated UNICEF and other partners for their support towards the education of Almajiri children in the state.
The deputy governor spoke during cash disbursement to the Almajiri under the Children in Street Situation Programme, on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said government policy of free education for the first 12 years was aimed at expanding access to education by removing obstacles like school fees and lack of food.
The deputy governor who was represented by Mr James Kanyip, Deputy Chief of Staff, said that the state was grateful to development partners and civil society organisations for complementing the effort to put all children in school.
She said that the partners have designed a programme that provided financial relief to street children and their families
Balarabe disclosed that the programme will commence with 2,674 almajirai who will each receive N5,000 cash transfer.
According to her, the donors plan to increase the amount to N10,000 to ensure that the children are enrolled and kept in schools.
Balarabe noted that the innovative intervention covers ‘’financial inclusion through banking the beneficiaries, promoting social inclusion through birth and digital identity registration.
“And expanding literacy through enrolment and provision of accessory materials and uniforms.’’
She listed stakeholders involved in the almajiri project to include the National Population Commission, which is providing the children with birth certificates.
Others are Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board which is enrolling them and providing reading materials, and Keystone Bank which opened accounts for the beneficiaries.
According to her, the Kaduna State Resident Identity Management Agency is registering and enrolling the children with National Identity Numbers (NIN) while UNICEF is providing the funds for the cash disbursement.
Balarabe pointed out that Gov. Nasir El Rufai’s administration was bent on developing human capital and providing equal opportunity for every resident.
She explained that the government had enacted the Child Welfare and Protection Law in 2018, to domesticate the Child Rights Act and strenghten policies and measures being taken to promote children’s access to decent education and health care.
‘’Focus on human capital development and equal opportunity informed the state government’s decision to make education free and compulsory for the first 12 years of schooling.
‘’The government also took steps to address the distortions in the Almajirci/Tsangaya system and ensure that no child is left behind in enjoying the right to education.
‘’The Kaduna state government is replacing it with a more organised and humane system that allows the children to access the indicators of human development, such as qualitative education and healthcare,’’ she added.
Balarabe noted that ‘’KDSG’s inclusive approach treats all children resident in the state as equal citizens, educated to the same curriculum in schools regulated by the same government agency, the Quality Assurance Authority.
‘’This allows suitably licensed schools to teach children their faith in addition to the secular curriculum in integrated schools.
‘’It is the policy of the Kaduna State Government that every child must have at least 12 years of education, from primary school to the completion of senior secondary school.
‘’The government has also ensured that vulnerable persons are covered in the Kaduna State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme.”
In her remarks, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, said the purpose of the intervention was to transfer cash to Almajiri school children to support their re-integration into the formal school system.
She explained that in January 2022, UNICEF funded the Ministry to follow up on the more than 10,000 children reunited with their families during the COVID-19 lockdown.
She said that the follow up revealed 2,674 children at home experiencing multiple deprivations.
According to her, the state government, with funding from UNICEF, is working with other partners to enroll the children in formal schools while continuing with their Islamic education.
“We do not want to see our children on the road; are saying in Kaduna state education is compulsory and free from primary to secondary school,” she said.
Baba said attention will be more on children from the state while others will go back to their states.
“There is need to curtail the rate at which children are being exposed to the streets, which can lead them to various social vices
“The state will continue to work with the tsangaya Malams on the need see reason why their system is changed to a more appropriate one,” she said.(NAN)
KN
Tags: Dr Hadiza Balarabe James Kanyip UNICEF
