The development Research and Projects Centre, dRPC, distributed learning and play materials worth over N3 million to 23 young female proprietors of community-based early childhood schools in Kano and Jigawa states.
A statement by the Ngo’s media officer, Hassan Karofi, said the support was part of its Early Childhood Care and Development, ECCD, initiative for young female secondary school graduates to set up and run community-based schools.
The statement noted that the dRPC’s young female school leavers support project first rolled out in the 1990s with funding from the Bernard Van Leer Foundation and scaled up in 2016 under the MacArthur Foundation’s PSIPSE program.
The dRPC’s Gender Officer, Aisha Bello, disclosed this during a one-day workshop titled – Supporting Community ECCD Innovations and Distribution of ECCD Replenishment Packs on December 11, 2024 at the Kano State Public Library.
The highlight of the workshop was the findings of the dRPC’s recent survey of centre-supported community-based ECCD Centres in Kano and Jigawa States.
Survey findings were presented by Aisha Bello, who identified key challenges as more than 70% of parents of children in community ECCD schools were found to be falling behind on payment of school fees, and 80% of owners of community ECCD schools reported that they were unable to replenish materials, especially play materials, used up by children over the 2024 academic year.
The survey revealed that while the young female school proprietors increased school fees from modest sums of N3,000 to N7,500 per term, only 30% of parents paid fees regularly and on time.
Low levels of payment have reduced the capacity of proprietors to renew and replenish play and learning materials for children in community ECCD centres.
Despite these challenges, the survey also found a 38.6% increase in pupil enrolment in 2024 compared to 2023 for both Kano and Jigawa states.
To address increasing class sizes and growing enrolment rates, proprietors in both states were forced to recruit more caregivers from local communities.
This led to as many as 37.3%, more caregivers being recruited in 2024 compared to 2023 and to a ratio of 1 caregiver to 15 children.
Despite these challenges, the survey showed that the young female proprietors maintained a strong commitment to continuing to run community ECCD schools.
The proprietors, all 23 females from their local communities, expressed determination to keep children engaged in education rather than leaving them vulnerable to roaming the streets.
Government officials present at the workshop included Ibrahim Nakudu, the ECCD Coordinator of the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board; Bashir Baffa, the Permanent Secretary of the Kano Ministry of Education; and several other education officials from both states.
UNICEF, other development partners, and the Kano State Education Outreach Manager of Ubongo International were also present.
The workshop ended with the dRPC awarding the 23 young female proprietors with replenishment packs consisting of learning and play materials, sanitation items, and the distribution of non-android phones to facilitate mentoring and mentoring.
The dRPC is a non-profit organisation committed to strengthening partnerships to support innovative development impact initiatives of civil society organisations and local actors.
NAN
