President Bola Tinubu has given a directive to the Federal Ministry of Education to develop a plan to get over 20 million out-of-school children back into the classroom.
News About Nigeria reports that this directive was revealed by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, during a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Examinations Council (NECO) offices in Shabu, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
To achieve this goal, the ministry is utilising the DOTS project, which focuses on four key areas: data repository, out-of-school children’s education, teacher training and development, and skill development and acquisition.
The DOTS project aims to address the issue of out-of-school children by providing access to education, improving teacher quality, and promoting skill development.
By leveraging the DOTS project, the ministry hopes to successfully re-enrol over 20 million out-of-school children and provide them with the opportunity to receive a quality education.
The minister said the DOTS initiative will enable the federal government to have a data-driven mechanism for interventions on fundamental issues relating to out-of-school children and other matters.
According to him, the project will give the ministry the opportunity to have statistics on schools, enrollment, retention, progression, and rates from kindergarten to university level.
“Out-of-school children represent a major thematic area in the eight points’ agenda of President Bola Tinubu, with a priority focus on social welfare, health, and education.
“Mr. President is of the belief that the over 20 million out-of-school children we have now represent a group of Nigerians that we have to pay attention to; otherwise, miscreants can use them to cause and foment trouble in Nigeria.
“The president also believes that for Nigeria to develop and continue to take its rightful position in the community of nations, that group of over 20 million citizens must be returned to school and ensure that they get proper education and the necessary skills to make them self-efficient and relevant in society,” he explained.
The minister, who described the out-of-school issue as a time bomb waiting to explode, noted that for the country to move forward, the 20 million affected children must be returned to schools.
He also explained that the DOTS project will enable the Federal Government to come up with an adequate census of teachers, their qualifications, training support received, and emoluments, amongst others, for effective planning.
The minister commended Governor Abdullahi Sule and his colleagues for their continuous support of the educational sector and for supporting NECO through the enrollment of their students in examinations.
