The Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the implementation and monitoring of the DARASI Programme across participating Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) as part of efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Malam Yusuf Kabir, made the pledge during a meeting with officials of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), PLANE, and Community Aids Connect at the STP Centre, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso.
Kabir commended the DARASI Programme for its positive impact in addressing the challenge of out-of-school children in the pilot local government areas, describing the initiative as a valuable intervention in Kano’s basic education sector.
He reiterated the Board’s commitment to deepening its partnership with Community Aids Connect and expressed SUBEB’s readiness to support future education initiatives by the FCDO and its development partners.
The SUBEB chairman also appreciated the FCDO and PLANE for their sustained support to basic education in Kano State, noting that several PLANE interventions have been successfully institutionalised by the state government, reflecting its commitment to improving access to quality education.
Speaking at the meeting, the State Team Lead of the DARASI Programme, Hajiya Nafisa Ado, said the initiative implements the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) Level I curriculum and is currently being piloted across 30 local government areas.
According to her, the programme has enrolled more than 8,000 learners and deployed 200 facilitators across 200 learning centres to provide foundational education for vulnerable and underserved children and adults through non-formal learning.
She added that DARASI lessons are also broadcast on radio, a strategy that has significantly expanded access to foundational learning for marginalized children.
Nafisa called on education stakeholders, community leaders, parents and development partners to sustain their support for the programme to ensure its long-term success and enable more out-of-school children and underserved learners to benefit from its interventions.
Also speaking, the Senior Education Adviser to the FCDO, Mr. Eyan, said the DARASI Programme was established to pilot a high-quality learning model for out-of-school children.
He disclosed that the programme’s Level I phase had been successfully completed, while Level II is expected to commence in the next academic session.
Mr. Eyan also commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for convening the Kano Education Recovery Conference over the past two years, describing the initiative as a bold step towards transforming the state’s education sector.
The meeting reviewed the progress of the DARASI Programme and explored ways of strengthening collaboration among the Kano State Government and its development partners to improve learning outcomes for vulnerable children.