40 Per Cent vs 22 Per Cent
Primary-age children out of school in Niger State compared with nationally.
allAfrica, 14 August 2024, citing UNICEF 2023.Benchmates Foundation
Children Outside School in Nigeria
Why the Gap Persists
Poverty Can Keep a Child from School
School access and completion are unequal. Benchmates Foundation works with children aged 6 to 12 who are out of school because of poverty, and connects their learning to existing school pathways.
The Figures
A Sharper View of the Gap
43 Per Cent
School-age children out of school in Niger State.
allAfrica, 14 August 2024, citing UNICEF 2023.34 Per Cent vs 97 Per Cent
Primary completion among the poorest fifth compared with the richest fifth.
UNICEF Nigeria, Situation Analysis of Children and Adolescents in Nigeria, 2024.10.2 Million
Primary-age children out of school nationally.
UNICEF Nigeria, Situation Analysis of Children and Adolescents in Nigeria, 2024.Niger State has the tenth-highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria. Source: allAfrica, 14 August 2024, citing UNICEF 2023.
The Context
Build on the Routes That Already Exist
01 / The Barrier
School Is Not Equally Reachable
Poverty shapes which children enter and finish school.
02 / Existing Pathways
There Are Routes Back to Learning
The state basic education board reports that 224,879 children returned to classrooms through BESDA between 2019 and 2022. The federal Accelerated Basic Education Programme offers a recognised route into junior secondary school.
Reading circles prepare children to enter those pathways. They feed into government schools and accelerated education centres, not compete with them.
Where the Circles Fit
A Bridge Into School, Not a Rival to It
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Neighbourhood Reading Circle
Build reading and number skills at the child’s level.
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A School Pathway
Prepare for a government school or accelerated education centre.
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Three Months of Follow-Up
Monthly home visits and school register checks after placement.
A Wider Commitment
The Work Contributes to These Goals
Quality Education Children reach school and learn to read and count. No Poverty Circles and school placement are free to families. Reduced Inequalities The poorest children are the ones most likely to be out of school. Gender Equality Boys and girls join on equal terms. Partnerships for the Goals Circles connect with communities, volunteers, local groups and education pathways.
