To return its share of out-of-school children to the classrooms, Bauchi State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has deployed hundreds of enumerators across the 20 local councils to ascertain the number of the kids affected.

The state reportedly has about 1.2 million kids not in school.

But earlier in September, Governor Bala Mohammed inaugurated an education committee headed by the Emir of Bauchi, Adamu Rilwanu, to champion the enrolment of kids and over 18,000 returned to classes.

The Guardian’s observation in Bambiyo, Giade Local Council, yesterday, showed that parents had been submitting their wards to enumerators for mapping, which assists policymakers in planning.

During a field trip by UNICEF team to communities in Toro and the northern part of the state like Azare, Giade and Misau, families were seen giving out the data of the children for documentation.

One of the enumerators, Aisha Abubakar, told newsmen that the exercise, which commenced yesterday in Giade would last for a week.

She said: “What we do is to meet the head of a household, ask about the number of kids not in school and input their information on our computerised record.

“I have been going from door to door, meeting parents for the information. They have been cooperating and glad to enrol their kids in school. Although some of them are giving economic hardship as excuse to keep their children out of school.”

One of the parents, Sani Abubakar, reportedly expressed readiness to enrol all his 19 children in school, adding that a child without education is like a waste.

“In my own case, I am 77 years, but I just finished secondary in 2007 when I have wives and children. I will not want a similar situation for my kids,” Sani said.

UNICEF and Bauchi government deployed 325 enumerators and 40 supervisors across the state to determine the number of pupils that are yet to be enrolled in school.

According to the Officer in Charge of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Adams Clement, the mapping would enable the state “to know the actual number of children that are out of school, for effective planning. The mapping is a comprehensive household survey for out-of-school children towards actualising the state’s strategic plans to reduce the number and rate of out-of-school children.