In a bold move to reshape its educational system, the Kaduna State Government has announced plans to present an executive bill to the State House of Assembly, seeking to make ‘life skills education’ a compulsory and permanent part of secondary schools’ curriculum.

The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Abubakar Sani Sambo, disclosed this in Abuja during a strategic workshop on the institutionalisation of life skills in the education sector.

He stated that the initiative was aimed at revolutionising learning by moving it beyond academic grades to deliberately build students’ emotional intelligence, resilience, and social responsibility.

According to Sambo, who spoke on behalf of Governor Uba Sani, “the transformation seeks to transition the educational model from a traditional “thinking” approach to a holistic “doing and feeling” approach”.

This, he noted, would better equip students to handle real-world challenges.

The life skills programme, currently run under the World Bank-supported Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, has already been piloted across all senior secondary schools in the state.

Data presented show it has reached 40,536 girls and 1,864 boys, with 1,141 teachers trained as mentors.

The project covers modules on empowerment, health, nutrition, reproductive health, gender-based violence and climate change.

Officials report tangible outcomes, including improved student confidence, reduced absenteeism, higher enrolment figures and positive behavioural changes such as increased gender respect and empathy.

The AGILE State Project Coordinator, Maryam Sani Dangaji, confirmed the programme’s implementation across the board, while the Executive Director of the Centre for Girls’ Education, Habiba Mohammed, hailed Kaduna’s progress, “which has positioned it as a regional leader in sustainable educational reform.”

In his response, the Chairman of the State House of Assembly Committee on Education, Emmanuel Bako Kantiok, assured that the legislature was ready to fast-track the passage of the bill once final stakeholder inputs had been received.

The proposed law is expected to provide a legal framework and dedicated budget for the programme, ensuring that life skills education remains a core part of Kaduna’s public school system for generations to come. (The Guardian)