Back-to-school campaign: Katsina SUBEB, UNICEF to train 100 field-officers

No fewer than 100 field officers would be engaged to ensure the success of a back-to-school campaign in Kankara and Kafur Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina state.

Alhaji Abdulmalik Bello, the Director of social mobilisation, Katsina State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) disclosed this on Thursday, at the launch of the campaign in Kafur.

The programme, which was earlier inaugurated on Tuesday in Katsina, is being implemented in collaboration with UNICEF and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK.

According to Bello, 50 field officers from each of the two LGAs will receive a two-day training beginning from  Friday, Oct. 15, and be deployed to drive the campaign exercise.

He said that the campaign was aimed at ensuring that children returned to school after staying for too long at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As you all know, students have stayed for a very long time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the pandemic, most of the children are yet to return to class.

“Therefore, we are going to discuss with all stakeholders to see how parents can be enlightened on the importance of the education of their children.

“This will assist in convincing the parents to bring their children back to school to further their education for the good of their future,” he said.

Alhaji Isa Muhammad, the board’s secretary, said a 2020 UNICEF report had revealed that 71 per of children from the age of 6-11 in Kafur local government were enrolled in primary school.

“I have to commend you for ensuring that about 65 per cent of these children were able to continue from the primary school level to Junior Secondary School (JSS),” he said.

He further called on parents to take their children back to school, saying that the state government had provided all the necessary learning materials for them.