ROOSC to Return 200,000 Pupils to School in Four Years
By: Femi Mustapha
The Kaduna State Government has launched a transformative initiative called the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project, aimed at returning 200,000 pupils to school within four years.
During a media briefing, the State Coordinator of the ROOSC Project, Mr. Ezra Angai, described this initiative as a beacon of hope for out-of-school children. The project is set to run from 2024 to 2028.
Mr. Angai explained that with support from implementing partners such as Save The Children International (SCI) and UNICEF, along with funding from the Islamic Development Bank, the ROOSC initiative aims to demonstrate how targeted action and comprehensive reform can lead to lasting change in education.
He emphasized that the project has three key components designed to ensure its success: Accessibility, which focuses on bringing learning within reach for all children.
At the heart of ROOSC’s mission is the commitment to providing every child, regardless of socioeconomic background, gender, disability, or location, with access to quality education.
“Education is a right, not a privilege,” Mr. Ezra stated. “We are dedicated to removing every obstacle that prevents children from attending school.” As part of this commitment, the plan includes building 102 new schools to create proximity, minimizing the distance children need to travel to attend school.
Additionally, the initiative involves renovating 170 existing schools, including learning centers such as Qur’anic schools and Tsangaya.
These schools will be equipped with learning kits and the necessary resources to help students thrive. The initiative will also engage with Tsangaya and Qur’anic schools to introduce basic literacy and numeracy through the Accelerated Basic Education Program (ABEP), which aims to accelerate their learning over nine months. Children in informal schools will receive formal education to enhance their skills.
Mr. Angai mentioned that ROOSC will implement mobile schools, community-based learning centers, and accelerated learning programs as strategies to bring children back to school and keep them engaged.
For regions impacted by displacement and conflict, the project will leverage digital platforms and localized curricula to overcome significant barriers.
“While getting children into school is crucial, ROOSC recognizes that access alone is not sufficient,” Mr. Angai remarked. The initiative places a strong emphasis on improving the quality of education by providing teacher training, modern teaching materials, and integrating child-centered pedagogies.
Our partner, Save the Children International, will focus on enhancing the quality of learning.
Through partnerships with teacher training institutions and investment in evidence-based curriculum development, ROOSC aims to improve learning outcomes and ensure that education prepares children for life, work, and active citizenship.
Preliminary impact assessments have indicated improved literacy and numeracy rates among previously out-of-school children, reflecting the program’s commitment to excellence. However, the team believes more can be accomplished.
Instead of working in isolation, ROOSC has tasked UNICEF and the Ministry of Education with strengthening educational systems.
Currently, training is underway for head teachers on using management systems for data collection from local to state levels, facilitating the collection of annual data.
Additionally, the initiative is collaborating with UNICEF database consultants to establish a comprehensive database for the state’s Ministry of Education.
This database will help track each child’s attendance consistency. Once established, the Ministry will have a robust website, and stakeholders will be able to access data to monitor progress in returning out-of-school children to school.
Overall, ROOSC aims to return 200,000 out-of-school children to classrooms, build 102 new schools, renovate 170 classrooms, distribute over 500,000 teaching and learning materials, and conduct training and capacity development for teachers and supervisors, among other goals.
Earlier, the Director of the Reaching Out-of-School Children program at Save the Children International, Emmanuel Mbursa, highlighted the importance of addressing gender and disability issues within the project.
He stated that efforts will be made to assess children’s needs and provide assistive devices by partnering with disability inclusion agencies and eye care hospitals.
The goal is to create an inclusive learning environment where children can learn without discrimination or bias.
We want to see children learning without any form of discrimination or bias.
At this point, it is important to note that we have mapped communities in 9 LGAs, Kaduna South, Kaduna North, Igabi, Jaa’ma, Kanchan, Kachia Sabo Gari, Soba, and Lere Local Government Areas.
ABEP classes are ongoing in all of these LGAs with 1,885 pupils on board; those in the ABEP centres are in primary schools.
We are also starting a back to learning campaign for school-age children.
The beauty of this is not just to enroll them back to school but also to have a three-month catch-up program, which will start in June and will end by August, and then when the school starts in September, we will enroll them back to school.
We have procured 15000 learning kits and are still going to procure 150,000 learning kits this year. We have trained teachers on professional development and will be supporting them with teaching kits, hoping to enroll 10,000 learners within that period
