Reaching Out-of-School Children project donates books to 300 students enrolled by Kaduna lawmaker
From: Femi Mustapha
Kaduna State office of the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROSC) Project has Distributed 500 Excises books to 300 students who were enrolled at the Business Apprenticeship Training Centre (BATC) Zaria by the member representing Zaria City at the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon.Barrister Mahmud Lawal Isama’ila.
This was disclosed by the State Project Coordinator of Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROSC) Ezra Angai, during the formal enrollment of the students today.
According to him, his organization aligns with the vision of the Lawmaker popularly called Bola Ige for doing something very commendable that is in line with the mandate of the ROOSC project.
He disclosed that the lawmaker has enrolled 300 children back to school and provided the platform by giving them books and uniforms to ensure that they stay in school.
The Coordinator added that the ROOSC project considers Barrister Mahmud Lawal Isama’ila a critical stakeholder in what the project is doing and has come to support and congratulate him on this achievement.
He stressed that he is excited because he has given livelihood to the children and contributed to the development of the State.
“This school has been here for a very long time and prominent people have come out of it.
“We are very confident that the action that has happened today will lead to not just the improvement of education but a means of livelihood for the children that are going to graduate from here.”
He observed that his organization is also aware of many other things that the lawmaker has done, and because our project is on education, we are supporting everything about it.
We consider him a critical stakeholder in what we are doing and we have come to support and congratulate him on this achievement.
I’m excited because he has given livelihood to the children and contributed to the development of the State.
This school has been here for a very long time and prominent people have come out of it.
We are very confident that the action that has happened today will lead to not just the improvement of education but a means of livelihood for the children that are going to graduate from here.
Let me be quick to say that the activities that he has carried out line up with the serious commitment that the Kaduna State Government has shown towards education.
Kaduna State, in many areas, is also leading the way by saying not just formal education, let us add skills to what these children are learning.
So that once they graduate, they are useful to first themselves, their families then, the society.
In our earlier presentation, we have written to formalize this engagement with Hon. Bola Ige to say that we are ready to collaborate with anyone, within and outside Kaduna State that wants to contribute to education.
We have requested the list of names of children who were returned to school so that we can track and monitor their progress to ensure that there is retention.
We have had meetings with some owners of private schools to explore the possibility of giving scholarships to students who excel in public schools.
This will be an incentive to integrate this school as part of the schools we are watching to monitor that the students brought back are retained in the school.
To ensure that interventions from our project reach schools like this and many others across the length and breadth of the State.
Speaking earlier, Barrister Mahmud Lawal Isama’ila, AKA Bola Ige, said 300 students were enrolled in JSS1 and JSS 2 of the BATC.
He opined that It is part of his support to the education sector, to ensure that each and every child returns to school in Zaria City. We promised, Insha Allah, to do it, and we have started.
“Last year, 50 students were enrolled and as I speak, they are pursuing their academic activity smoothly.
“We monitor them, we advise their parents and today, it is 300 students in skill acquisition and education.
“This is part of the commitment we undertake to support our people.
“I’m very happy with the presence of the project coordinator that is here with us, and the support given to us with more than 500 books.
“In line with the Government policy and the reach out of school children, I assure you that we monitor the students through their parents and the teachers.
“We are discussing with the school management to see how we can incorporate parent-teacher association of the school so that we can continue to monitor the activities of the school.
“We are ready to support the school management to ensure that their needs are being provided for the children to have a smooth training.
“My advice is for them to be very diligent and committed; enrolling and coming to school are two different things.
“I even asked the school to establish what we call mentorship education, where students will be attached to some teachers for advice and guidance.”