Over 870,000 Children Not in School in Kano - New Findings

A survey has shown why around 875,593 children aged five to 18 are not in school in Kano State. This is happening even though parents in the state support education strongly.

Kano has about 6.6 million school-age children. The survey found that 13.4 percent of them are out of school.

The survey challenges the common belief that cultural issues are the main reason for the education crisis in northern Nigeria. It shows that 99.6 percent of parents support formal education for their children.

The assessment covered all 44 local government areas in the state and concluded in March. This was the first proper evaluation of out-of-school children in Kano in over ten years.

The state Ministry of Education carried out the survey with help from the State Bureau of Statistics and the UK FCDO-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE).

Last Thursday, the state Commissioner for Education, Ali Makoda, shared the survey results with stakeholders and media representatives.

The survey looked at 1,783 households and interviewed 13,915 people, including 7,013 children aged five to 18.

The report found that 13.4 percent of the children surveyed were out of school, while 86.6 percent were enrolled. The ratio of boys to girls among those out of school was 54:46.

Mr. Makoda explained that the survey aimed to find out how many children are not in school across the state. He said the data will be sorted by gender, age, and location to find out what stops children from getting an education.

He also mentioned that the project will map where out-of-school children are located down to the ward and local government area levels. This will help identify areas with the biggest problems.

In addition, the survey will look at families’ economic situations, education backgrounds, and hopes. This will create a clear starting point to track progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by 2030.

Mr. Makoda said these findings will help the government and partners understand the full problem and create focused strategies to increase school enrollment.

The study looked at 7,192 children across 100 urban and rural areas. It found that 86.67 percent (6,233 children) are in school, while 13.34 percent (959 children) are out of the education system.

The study showed that 6.97 percent (501 children) had never attended school, while 6.37 percent (458 children) had dropped out. Getting children into school is a big challenge, but keeping them there is almost as hard.

The report says financial problems are the biggest barrier. About 22.3 percent of parents cannot afford school costs, and 17.2 percent have trouble accessing schools.

The report also pointed out that long distances to schools and household chores prevent some parents from enrolling their children. Early marriage and child labor are also issues.

The report makes it clear that the problem is not about parents wanting education for their children. It is about poor service delivery and fairness in education.

From 1,783 caregivers interviewed, 99.6 percent (1,775 respondents) said education is “important” or “very important” for their children. Only one person (0.056 percent) thought it was “not important at all.”

Additionally, 90.9 percent of parents supported equal access to education for both boys and girls.

The survey found that the out-of-school crisis in Kano State is not about parents not wanting education. “Parents want school for their children; the system is failing to make it accessible, affordable, and of sufficient quality,” the survey revealed.

Unlike usual trends where girls are often the majority of unschooled children, this survey showed that boys make up 54.2 percent (520) of those out of school, while girls are 45.8 percent (439).

This difference is mostly due to economic pressures that require boys to work and the influence of traditional Qur’anic education systems.

The survey highlighted that 99.6 percent of caregivers (1,775 out of 1,783) think education is “important” or “very important.” Only eight respondents had a negative view on the value of education, and just one (0.056 percent) said it is “not important at all.”

The survey also showed big differences across Kano's 44 LGAs. Some areas have zero percent out-of-school children, while others, like Doguwa LGA, have up to 40 percent.

Researchers noted that this 40 percent gap offers a chance for targeted help. Focusing on the ten areas with the biggest problems could greatly improve the overall situation.

The report stresses that no single solution will fix this issue. The barriers keeping children out of school are spread across five main areas:

* Family and cultural pressures: 22.6 percent
* Financial issues: 20.8 percent
* School-related problems: 20 percent
* Child-related factors: 18.3 percent
* External shocks (insecurity and disasters): 18.2 percent

To tackle the education emergency in Kano and work towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by 2030, officials said a joined-up approach is needed. This should focus on infrastructure, safety, and reducing poverty.

In Kano, as in many northern Nigerian states, traditional Qur’anic education systems, like Almajiri schools, often keep boys away from formal schooling.

Almajiri children usually go to study the Qur’an and live with their teachers. Many end up on the streets, begging or getting involved in petty crimes.

These Almajiri pupils do not get basic numeracy, literacy, and entrepreneurial skills like those in regular schools.

Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world. The long-term effects include lower productivity, higher youth vulnerability to social issues, and a cycle of poverty.