Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has disclosed that over 350,000 out-of-school children in the state have been integrated into the formal education system.

The governor made this known on Thursday during a statewide broadcast marking the sixth anniversary of his administration.

He also announced plans to establish a commission dedicated to addressing the challenges of Almajiri and out-of-school children in the state.

According to him, the initiative is aimed at integrating traditional Islamic education with formal Western curricula to ensure inclusive and equitable access to quality education for all children.

“Through the Better Education Service Delivery for All Programme, we successfully mopped up over 350,000 out-of-school children into formal education.

“To sustain this progress, we are building modern Integrated Almajiri Tsangaya Centres in each local government area and appointed a Special Adviser on Almajiri Education,” Yahaya said.

Yahaya noted that the reforms are a continuation of his administration’s declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector in 2019.

 “Following the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector in 2019, our administration’s comprehensive education reforms have yielded remarkable results across all levels.

Since then, he said, the state has constructed and renovated over 1,600 classrooms across 350 schools and recruited more than 1,000 qualified teachers.

“This demonstrates our commitment to ensuring no child is left behind,” he said.

He further revealed that five legacy schools have been upgraded into modern mega colleges, while the establishment of a Secondary Schools Management Board has helped strengthen institutional oversight and improve quality standards.

According to him, the introduction of mandatory mock examinations has contributed significantly to better academic performance, with national exam pass rates improving from 22 per cent in 2019 to 76 per cent in 2024.

“These interventions have positioned Gombe as a national leader in education innovation,” Yahaya said. “Our data-driven, systemic reforms have earned commendations from the Federal Ministry of Education and key development partners,” he added.