The Executive Chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Lawal Buhari, made this known in an interview with Pressmen in Katsina.
Buhari added that 540 facilitators and mentors were also employed and trained in order to achieve the desired objective, saying the achievement was recorded through the intervention of the Basic Education Services Delivery for All (BESDA).
He said the registration and integration into formal education are with a view to repositioning the system to enable them to learn Western Education in addition to their Islamic Education.
He further revealed that the state government through the intervention of BESDA, within the period under review has spent 21million dollars.
The Executive Secretary explained that BESDA is a World Bank intervention programme geared toward supporting states with the highest number of Out-of-School Children and Katsina is identified as one of the states.
He noted that the BESDA intervenes in three key areas; equitable access to education, improving literacy and system strengthening.
“Katsina State has the highest number of out-of-school children of about 1,135,000 which comprises almajiris, nomads, IDPs and vulnerable children.
“The implementation of the programme started in 2019 with the selection of 22 local government areas across the state for the reduction of Out- Of-School Children.
“Also, 13 LGAs for intensive literacy programme using RANA and Jolly Phonics Models. From 2019 to date, 255 Qur’anic Learning Centres were integrated under the programme.
“The programme has succeeded in the reduction of 361,525 out-of-school children, representing 36 per cent of the set target in the selected LGAs in the state.
Buhari added that BESDA programme will wind up in October 2022, therefore appealed to the World Bank through the Federal Government to extend the programme beyond that period.
Tribune Online gathered that Katsina State has become a safe Haven lately for Almajiris, as the neighbouring states of Kano and Kaduna placed high restrictions on street begging.
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