Bauchi’s school enrollment hits all-time high at 2.1 million

The number of children enrolled in school in Bauchi State has reached an all-time high of 2.1 million pupils and students in basic education.

Dr. Jamila Dahiru, Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, ascribed it to Governor Bala Mohammed’s declaration of an emergency in the education sector.

Dahiru made the remark while presenting the Ministry’s achievements at the 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing, which was held yesterday at the State Secretariat’s Conference Hall.

She revealed that there had been a huge increase in state enrollment for pupils and students at the Basic and Post-Basic levels in both public and private, formal and non-formal schools and centres.

“Currently, the basic foundation of education in the state falls under the purview of the Ministry of Education, which includes six departments, agencies, and boards (the State Universal Basic Education Board, Special Schools Board, and Library Board, as well as the State Agencies for Mass and Nomadic Education),” she said.

“The Ministry of Education, along with the Special Schools Board and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), oversees a network of 3,854 primary schools, 1,038 junior secondary schools, and 450 senior secondary schools, totaling 5,342 schools.

“We also collaborate closely with 1,463 registered private schools in the state. The Ministry also manages a total of 1,356 nomadic schools and non-formal centres, married women’s schools, and Islamic Quranic and Tsangaya schools through the Bauchi State Agency for Mass Education (BASAME) and the Bauchi State Agency for Nomadic Education (BASANE).”

The Commissioner stated that the state government’s different measures had resulted in a considerable reduction in the number of out-of-school children in the state.

Dahiru revealed that the ministry implemented the techniques through the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, to ensure that all out-of-school children were brought to school.

She stated that the state’s out-of-school child rate had decreased from 1.5 million to 521,000.

The Commissioner ascribed the result to the state government’s long-term efforts and assistance.

Dahiru stated that the State Governor’s proclamation of a state of emergency in the education sector produced results.