Key Takeaways
- Jigawa State plans to reduce learning poverty in basic schools to below 10 percent by 2031.
- The World Bank defines learning poverty as a child being unable to read and understand a simple story by age 10.
- Learning poverty in focal local government areas currently stands at about 56.7 percent, according to SUBEB.
- Officials are turning to Teaching at the Right Level to close literacy and numeracy gaps across the state.
The Jigawa State Government has set a bold target: cut learning poverty among basic school pupils to less than 10 percent by 2031.
Prof. Haruna Musa, Executive Secretary of the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board, announced the goal on Monday in Dutse during the dissemination of the Teaching at the Right Level Endline Assessment. The exercise was conducted under the Education and Youth Empowerment Programme in Northwestern Nigeria, implemented by SUBEB with the UNICEF Kano Field Office.
A Persistent Challenge
Learning poverty, as defined by the World Bank, means a child cannot read and understand a simple story by age 10. In Jigawa's focal local government areas, the rate stands at about 56.7 percent, a figure Musa described as unacceptably high.
He expressed confidence that targeted interventions, stronger monitoring, and closer cooperation between government, teachers, communities, and development partners can sharply reduce that number. His ultimate goal is to eliminate learning poverty so no child leaves school without basic skills.
Teaching at the Right Level
TaRL, as the approach is known, groups pupils by actual learning level rather than age or grade. It helps students overcome gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy before they fall too far behind. According to Musa, the endline results have been promising, and the government plans to sustain and strengthen the programme.
Hurdles on the Ground
The assessment also exposed serious challenges. Pupil and teacher absenteeism disrupted the exercise in some schools, while late arrival slowed the process, especially when the farming season began. Some teachers and mentors also struggled with parts of the assessment methodology.
In response, stakeholders called on Local Council Education Authorities to enforce punctuality and regular attendance. They recommended refresher training for Senior School Officers, head teachers, and teachers, and asked supervisors to take a more active role in monitoring schools.
A Shared Responsibility
Musa urged communities to view schools as their own property and take part in protecting and supporting them. He also stressed teacher accountability, insisting that teachers must be present, prepared, and effective in the classroom.
Why This Matters
Slashing learning poverty from 56.7 percent to below 10 percent would be a landmark achievement for Jigawa's education system. More importantly, it would equip thousands of children with the reading and numeracy skills they need to succeed in school and in life.