School attendance figures masking learning crisis among Nigerian children – FG raises concern

The Nigerian government has expressed concern over the practice of assessing children based only on their physical presence in schools, noting that the system may be counting the number of attendees rather than the quality of learning received.

Raising the concern, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, recalled 2024 data by UNICEF which found that 74 per cent of children aged seven to 14 years lacked basic reading, cognitive and mathematics skills.

Maintaining that not all children present in schools may actually be learning the way they should, she revealed the government’s plans to make classroom safety, participation and learning outcomes part of how Nigeria assesses basic education.

She noted that enrolment and attendance figures can no longer provide an adequate picture of Nigeria’s education system because children could remain in classrooms but are shut out from learning by bullying, exclusion, ridicule and unsafe environments.

Speaking at the national trainers’ session on safe learning environment, gender-responsive technology and ICT skills for educators in Teacher Training Institutions, the minister said a “child’s presence in school must be matched by evidence that the child is safe, included, participating and learning”.

“She is present every morning, but slowly, quietly, she withdraws. If we count only enrolment, we may miss that girl entirely.

“A girl does not always leave school on a day her name disappears from the register. Sometimes she leaves a little early while she is still sitting in the classroom.

“She raises her hand and is never called upon. Other children laugh when she speaks, and no one stops them. Someone makes her feel unsafe, and she cannot think of an adult she trusts enough to tell,” Ahmad added.

The minister urged educators to focus on what happens to learners once they are inside the classroom, especially their emotional and mental well-being, and their capacity to learn at every stage rather than focusing on the number of days attended.

She revealed that the Federal Ministry of Education had introduced the National Policy on Anti-Bullying in Nigerian Schools and its implementation guidelines, but warned that the success of the policy would ultimately be determined by what teachers and other adults do for children when confronted with bullying, abuse or exclusion.