The Bauchi State House of Assembly has revealed it will pass a bill to develop a framework of action to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.

Chairman House Committee on Education, Dr Nasiru Ahmed Ala, disclosed this at a two-day Regional Stakeholders Engagement Meeting on the Out-of-School Children and the Retention, Transition and Completion Models in Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa states held at Emerald Hotel Hall, Gombe, Gombe Staten on Thursday.

Ala, representing the Madara/Chinede constituency in the State Assembly, expressed deep concern over the significant number of out-of-school children in Bauchi, estimated at 1.2 million.

He emphasised the urgency of addressing the issue and highlighted the collaborative efforts of lawmakers from Adamawa and Gombe States to adopt the National Framework of Action in their respective states.

In his remark at the workshop, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane, reiterated the U.N agency‘s commitment to addressing the high rate of out-of-school children and low learning achievements, particularly in the north-east and north-west regions of Nigeria.

He also emphasised the importance of the workshop in providing models to guide states in tackling the out-of-school children phenomenon, enhancing community accountability and mobilization, utilizing innovations and technologies to improve access to quality education, and financing efforts to reduce out-of-school children in the state.