Abstract In Nigeria, children lack access to primary school education, and this hinders their social, cognitive, emotional, and physical skills’ development. With one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children in Nigeria, achieving universal primary education by 2030 remains a challenge. Several studies have investigated the factors that have led to an increase in out-of-school children (OOSC); however, these studies are based on individual level and household predictors with little evidence on the geographical determinants. Hence, this study examines the relationship between OOSC and the socio-economic attributes of the geographical location where they reside. Findings of the spatial analysis show that Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe, Taraba, and Plateau are the hotspots of out-of-school children. The result further reveals that there is spatial variation in the predictors of out-of-school children in the country. Poverty and internally generated revenue (IGR) predict more cases of school non-attendance in northern Nigeria while foreign direct investment determines the number of children that are out-of-school in the southern region. The study recommends spatially explicit policies to reduce the number of OOSC in Nigeria.

Geographical determinants and hotspots of out-of-school children in Nigeria

The rising number of out-of-school children (OOSC) constitutes a major obstacle to growth and development in Nigeria. Despite various institutional frameworks and policy initiatives, Nigeria accounts for the highest number of OOSC worldwide with one out of every five OOSC globally residing in Nigeria. In an attempt to characterize dynamics of OOSC and how it could be tackled to fount sustainable development in Nigeria, a new mathematical model was formulated. The validity of the model was examined using some mathematical theorems and the model equilibria were derived. The inclusive schooling ratio, an analytic parameter that quantified the extent to which the rising OOSC was being tackled to fount development, was computed. The stability properties of the model were studied via stability theory of differential equations based on the derived inclusive schooling ratio. Sensitivity analysis was conducted for some major parameters following the normalized forward sensitivity index approach to examine the relative importance of the model parameters to OOSC expansion and contraction. Numerical simulation was later conducted to justify the theoretical results and the results of the simulation showed that efforts to fount development through minimization of OOSC were fruitful if the inclusive schooling ratio was greater than one otherwise the menace of OOSC persisted. The policy implication of the result is that tackling the menace of OOSC to fount sustainable development in Nigeria is a long-term process and any policies designed to pursue the course must be sustained.

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A mathematical model to address out-of-school children menace for actualization of sustainable development in nigeria

Education is a major key to the development of any nation. The realization that education is an engine room to the advancement of both industrial and technological growth of nations has propelled the leadership and citizens of many nations to consider the training of their younger generations with seriousness. The school is a formal institution vested with the responsibility to ensure that children are properly trained in the methods, ways and means for the future progress of the society. In Nigeria, there are educational policies put in place in line with other international institutions to ensure that all children at least acquire the basic level of education. Presently, there are millions of children that lack access to basic education. These children are referred to as out-of-school children. The real statistical figure of these children appears obviously shady. With the rapid explosion of the number of out-of-school children, Nigeria has been described globally as the country with the largest population of such children. It is on record that one out of every child that is excluded from formal education in Africa is a Nigerian child. There are many reasons that evidently might be responsible for lots of these children being out-of-school. Among them are poverty, ignorance, insecurity, corruption, the devaluation of education and knowledge in the social system, materialism and many more. No one can expect to reap what he/she did not give or sow, subsequently the aftermath of leaving out these children without completing their education had multiple negative consequences to the child, the society and the country at large. For one, such children might become ready crop of adults later in life to serve in menial positions of responsibilities with low salary grades; experience marital instabilities due to their economic status and therefore become ready tools that could be ignorantly manipulated by the political elite in the society. They may also raise families without birth control, thereby extending a vicious cycle of people living in poverty and low self-esteem. Beyond being easily exploited, most of them become known for anti-social vices, such as cultism, criminals with tendencies as armed robbery, drug addicts, rapists, kidnapers, hoodlums, and sex workers (prostitutes). The implications of all these to nation building is stagnation and general insecurity to life and property. The article then proffered some likely suggestions that can assist the society to overcome some of these psychosocial challenges once taken into consideration.

Out-of-School Children in Nigeria: A Creation by Society and its Implications for Nation Building

The paper reports on a pilot study conducted with private and secondary schools in the southeast region of Nigeria to establish the impact of integrating the Igbo language into the secondary education system to ensure performance and language sustainability in the region. The aim is to measure the impact of using Igbo as the language of instruction combined with English language on academic performances and the perceived benefits, challenges and policy implications. The study, involving teachers and students drawn from two private and public secondary schools, employed a combination of quasi-experimental and survey methods for quantitative data collection. A performance assessment test of the students on Civic Education, a core subject in the Nigerian secondary education curriculum, revealed improved academic performances after adjusting for the effect of type of school and sex of students. Students taught with Igbo as the language of instruction supported with English performed better compared to those taught with English. The perceived benefits border on effective cognitive development, reducing learning poverty and strengthening of social relationships. However, the perceived challenges of suitably qualified teachers, infrastructure and suitable instructional materials will hinder effective implementation and transition. Careful planning and strategies will enhance the effective integration process.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/9/7510/pdf?version=1683186873

Evaluating the Local Language Dimensions for Effective Teaching and Learning Sustainability in the Secondary Education System in Southeast Nigeria: Results from a Small-Scale Study

Statistics show that Nigeria has 10.5 million out-of-school children (OOSC), the highest figure in the globe. This study investigated the media frames and framing strategies of OOSC in Punch, Vanguard, and Daily Trust Newspapers. Using qualitative content analysis, the study adopted van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) alongside the thematic and episodic positions of Framing Theory. Analysis showed five media frames and six framing strategies for OOSC. For media frames, OOSC were represented as vulnerable and poor victims; silenced voices; children sprouting from state and policy failure; children sprouting from non-state actors’ failure, as well as children in crisis and need of collaborative responses. For framing strategies, we found source avoidance as a means of masking negativity, authoritativeness as a framing strategy, positive self-presentation, and negative other-presentation, apportioning blame, and foregrounding, alongside direct and implied metaphors. Journalists used these representations to frame opinions and influence people’s perceptions of the OOSC menace. The study recommends that media houses always explore ways of actualizing the truth efficacy of news reportage, and write stories about OOSC more thematically.

All Talk, Little Impact: Media Frames and Discursive Strategies of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria

Education is a key to development and sustainable development. Children out of school deter development and sustainable development. The purpose of the study is an investigation on Out of school children: enhancing factors and consequences for sustainable development in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria. The design of the study was a survey research design which involves the retrieving of data from selected respondents representing the entire population comprising of teachers and parents in the North Central Geo-Political zone of Nigeria. The sample size of 800 respondents was selected from the 2 sample states drawn through simple random sampling techniques. Four research questions and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research strategies in analyzing the data. Data was gathered through questionnaire titled ‘Out of School Children Questionnaire’ (OSCQ). The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation scores and independent t test statistic was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The finding of the study revealed that poverty, child labour, teenage pregnancy and distance to school are the major causes of children out of school in the North Central Geo Political zone. Also menial jobs were major implication of out of school children. Based on the findings of the study the recommendations made were that punishment should be prescribed for parents whose children are out of school and there should be poverty reduction strategies in the development of appropriate policies and intervention strategies to help poor people improve their living standard.

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Mary O. Akinsola

Papers

Out of School Children: Enhancing Factors and Consequences for Sustainable Development in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria