OUT -OF -SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NIGERIA: MAKING EXTANT LEGISLATIONS COUNT

Abstract

As statistics suggest1
, the existence of legislations does not appear to have made any
significant stride in halting the increase2
in the number of out-of-school children in
Nigeria.
Children being in-school instead of out-of-school is important to Nigeria because studies3
seem to suggest that there is a relationship between education and national development.
There are several models put forward to explain the relationship between education and
national development. One of the models is the Linear model theory. Within this Model
there are three groups of social scientists namely the structural fundamentalist, human
capitalist theories and the modernization theorist4
The human capitalist theory and to a
certain extent modernist theory constitutes the framework for building cases to show that
education enhances national development5
Thus an educated populace is likely to lead
an increase GDP. A slight increase in the percentage of the educated will likely result in
a slight increase in GDP.
A number of factors contribute to the persistent rise in the numbers of out-of-school
children in Nigeria. These factors include gender inequality, insurgency, child marriage,
natural disasters and child labour. Added to this are other negative socio-cultural norms.
Although legislations exist in this area, they have so far been relatively ineffective6
in
curbing the gradual and continuous rise in the figures of out-of- school children in
Nigeria.