Explainer
HOW BENUE STUDENT MARSHALS ARE TACKLING THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL CRISIS: WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS SO FAR.
By Esther Benjamin Ogbe.
INTRODUCTION
Benue State has continued to face the challenge of children being out of school due to factors such as insecurity displacement, poverty and limited access to quality education.
The programme is designed as a community-based education intervention where trained Student Marshals help identify children who are not attending school, understand the reasons behind their absence, and connect them with relevant education authorities for possible reintegration.
But as attention grows around the initiative, a key question remains: is the programme already solving the out-of-school crisis, or is it an early step in a much longer process?
The Student Marshals were introduced as education-focused community monitors across Benue 23 local government areas.
Their role is to locate children who have never enrolled in school or who have dropped out, gather information on the reasons behind their absence, and support efforts to reconnect them with the education system.
One of the earliest signs of progress from the initiative is the move from assumptions to actual community-level data; by identifying and documenting children outside classrooms, authorities can better understand the scale of the problem, identify barriers preventing attendance, and design more targeted interventions.
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Education agencies have also continued documentation and reintegration efforts aimed at bringing affected children back into learning environments as Benue state was estimated to have about 260,000 out-of-school children, according to the Federal Ministry of Education.
There have also been early reports of some identified children returning to school, with support such as learning materials provided to some reintegrated pupils under interventions connected to Project BRACE-UP.
The programme is therefore focused on basic education (Primary 1 to JSS 3).
During a stakeholders’ workshop on Project BRACE-UP in May 2026, Benue SUBEB Executive Chairman, Dr. Grace Adagba, disclosed that the board had facilitated the return of 500 out-of-school children to schools, out of the over 16,000 out-of-school children that have so far been identified and profiled which records part of ongoing interventions aimed at addressing the out-of-school children crisis.
Report further stated that SUBEB plans to establish 50 non-formal education centres under the “Accelerated Basic Education Curriculum” (ABEC) before September 2026 to accommodate more vulnerable and un-enrolled children.
However, the Student Marshals initiative does not operate alone, it is linked to wider education reforms, including efforts around classroom rehabilitation, teacher recruitment, and improving learning conditions to ensure children not only return to school but are also able to remain there.
While Student Marshals are a significant intervention in addressing Benue out-of-school challenge, claims that the initiative has already solved the crisis are misleading, as it remains at an early intervention stage. Identifying children is only the first step; long-term success depends on whether they are enrolled, attend school consistently, remain in the system, complete their education, and achieve meaningful learning outcomes. Identification alone does not guarantee immediate enrolment, as many children still face barriers such as poverty, insecurity, displacement, family responsibilities, and limited access to nearby schools. The crisis is also driven by multiple factors, including economic hardship, infrastructure gaps, and social challenges, meaning Student Marshals should be seen as part of a wider education response rather than a complete solution.
CONCLUSION
Benue Student Marshals represent an important attempt to create an early-warning and community tracking system for children outside the classroom.
The initiative shows early progress in identifying affected children and supporting reintegration efforts, but its overall impact can only be measured over time.
The real test is not only the number of children identified, but whether they remain in school, complete their education, and gain the skills and knowledge needed to improve their future opportunities.
Beyond tracking numbers, success narratives from this initiative can serve as a booster to encourage identified out-of-school children pursue education to its logic conclusion.
This piece is written in collaboration with Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa) as part of its media fellowship in Benue state.
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