Why is Education in Niger important?

Education isn’t just important, it is absolutely crucial in developing a community of strong, resilient, and competent people. Education gives a person the power to think for themselves and improve their society. Knowing how to stand up for your beliefs is essential to ensuring the world pursues justice for the betterment of humanity. The right to education shouldn’t ever be in question, yet sadly, for much of Niger, attending a school isn’t an option.

I strongly believe every child should be given the opportunity to learn so they can grow into independent people who can voice their opinions. Communities that thrive are the ones which are built upon thoughtful and driven individuals. Changes in society come from groups of people who can challenge the status quo. It is near impossible to do this if you lack basic education, and unfortunately this holds true for millions of children in Niger. The future of Niger is in the hands of the young generation which makes up most of its population. Unfortunately, nothing will change for the better if all of these young people cannot gain an education. Investing in Niger’s youth and their much deserved education is essential in making the world a better place.

Fighting for education in Niger is the country's most pressing concern; it is the backbone necessary to resolve all other challenges. Developing the minds of people in Niger will allow them to help themselves, and be less reliant on foreign aid groups. This is an important goal to work towards, as the ones who know the country’s struggles the best are the Nigeriens themselves; they just need the power to use their voices.

The Harsh Truth

The state of Niger is very poor, with United Nation Human Development reports ranking the country near the worst, in regards to education. Over half of the country lacks basic education, and on top of that, 38% of the population is illiterate, according to Macrotrends. The education rate in Niger has fallen to only 58% as of 2023, and it only continues to plummet, says Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). This means that almost half of the children in Niger are growing up without even basic education, never learning to read or write. There are around 12.5 million youth under 18 in the country, meaning the extremely young population of Niger is being left behind. With this next generation making up about half the total population of Niger, properly educating them would be the difference in saving the country, or letting it fall further into despair.

The Culprits

The education system in Niger is failing for a series of reasons, which together, result in millions of forgotten children. Broken Chalk summarizes the four keys causes into the following:

Poverty: Niger is an extremely poor country with 2 million people being completely food insecure. Without a consistent or guaranteed source of food, children are fighting to survive every day of their lives. This leaves very little room to attend school regularly, and if a child affected is able to go to school, they are too malnourished to properly function. The food crisis is so bad that the majority of children are pulled from school to work for their families; unfortunately being life or death if they don't.

Violence: Neighboring and internal conflicts in places such as Mali and Burkina Faso have spilled over, affecting the already suffering school system. There have been direct attacks on school facilities and civilian populations, and the military sources schools for combat purposes. The NRC mentions that over 900 schools have been completely shut down because of the prominent violence in Niger.

Gender Inequality: Unfortunately, Niger experiences immense discrimination towards girls, with only 40% of girls reaching sixth grade, compared to a much higher percentage of boys. It is typical for girls to be married off by their parents at extremely young ages to wealthy and older men. Marrying young like this is the fastest way to increase economic and financial status, and becomes the only way for girls to survive in some cases. The gender inequality is described further as only 6% of boys succumb to marrying before the age of 18, while for girls it reaches 76%. The existing gender norms in Niger go on to assume girls to be mothers and wives, focusing on creating a family, not pursuing an education. Pearls and Irritations explains that the average mother in Niger has about 7 children. Once again, 7 children left to face the same poverty and struggles as their parents, if they aren’t educated soon enough. 

Child Labour: Working between 5 and 14 isn’t a choice, rather it is often a necessity. 42% of children between these ages work for their families, helping to provide food and some sort of shelter. Only 22% of working children continue to attend school while they do so, meaning the majority of children are barely staying above the poverty line, while missing out on education to do so.

Geographical Challenges: African Futures adds to Broken Chalks list by examining how Niger’s harsh climate and geographical location affect the education in the country. Niger is a landlocked country, making importing and exporting more difficult than coastal countries in the region. As of right now, this isn’t a major issue, as Niger cannot export much of anything to begin with. The country is rich with natural resources, but they lack the infrastructure to access and make use of them. Uranium is commonly sourced from Niger, however, this is through a French owned company, meaning Nigeriens get the short end of the stick. All of this means that the people of Niger need to rely on agriculture to generate any sort of income. However, when the land consists of very arid and semi-arid regions, seeing less than 100mm of rain annually, farming is almost impossible to do efficiently.

 

Close to Home

It’s easy to look at the country of Niger and forget about the Nigeriens who are living there everyday. These are people just like me and you, who need the opportunity to build futures for themselves, just like we can. A story from the United Nations International Child’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) tells of a young boy named Oussama and his friend Youssouf, which brings this daily struggle to us.

Oussama is only 6 years old, and he was unfortunately a victim of displacement from his home. He lives in Niger now, as ongoing conflicts in Mali, a neighboring country of Niger, forced his family to flee. Thanks to some of the Nigerien government's initiatives, Oussama and his friend Youssouf, who was also displaced, are able to return to school. Oussama is a very enthusiastic and punctual student, and he is seen to be enjoying his classes quite a lot. He says, “Our teacher is very kind. She teaches us to read, count and write. I like language, arithmetic and physical education,” in a quote provided by UNICEF. Attending school gives Oussama and his friend the opportunity to meet new people in the community they are only just beginning to call home. Youssouf is 7 years old, and shares the same class as Oussama. He is also enjoying his education and dreams of becoming a soldier, while Oussama wishes to become a teacher or police officer. The improvements seen in the school he is attending within Kétaré, a locality in Niger, are extensive. This particular school was developed for children just like Oussama and Youssouf, offering sanctuary for displaced and refugee children. It holds 656 students, 317 of which are girls, and offers all the primary grades, kindergarten, and any courses children may need to fill in educational gaps. This is all thanks to organizations which dedicate themselves to helping children by providing them with teachers who are properly trained and learning environments which are adequate for children.

This story serves as a call to action for anyone out there struggling to grasp the severity of this issue. It reminds us that the children struggling in Niger aren’t just a statistic, rather a person, a human, and someone who deserves a future of their choice.

 

How Can We Help?

Helping progress the development of the education system in Niger is not a straightforward process. To properly help the millions of affected children, multiple, well thought out strategies must be implemented, ranging from all sorts of difficulties.

UNICEF’s Ways to Start Small and Act From Places as Simple as Your Couch!

When making a difference in the world, every voice matters, to any extent. You can make a difference with only a few clicks by signing this petition! Although doing so doesn’t directly improve the state of the education system in Niger, it spreads the word, and draws attention to this matter from more people. If enough people stand up for change, someone is bound to listen and something is guaranteed to happen. One click could mean the difference for more children like Oussama and Youssouf experiencing school.

Going further, you can not only sign this petition, but take advocating into your own hands, and spread the information you’ve learned any way possible. Telling friends, family, or posting on social media quickly and effectively spreads meaningful information across demographics. Think about how many times you’ve scrolled through your phone and found an article that resonated with you. Make that difference!

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Ways to Help For the People In Niger or Anyone Closely Connected!

Although not many of you may have direct ties to Niger, if it is any way possible to reach out to the communities which make up the country, here are a few things you can do to support the Nigerien government. 

While the government works to improve teacher and principal training, as well as how they monitor the school system, you can promote education and its advantages to the people of Niger. If enough people look at sending their children to school through a different, more understanding lens, the social and economic norms in Niger can shift towards prioritizing education.

If you are a part of a Nigerien community, or have ties in any way, making the people living there aware of alternative education programs being provided by the government can allow for children unable to attend school to have a second chance.

Being a leader in your community can be the driving force behind motivating people to enroll their children in school.

More United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Ways to Help if You are Deeply Passionate!

If you are willing to work a little extra hard at achieving the ultimate goal of providing education for all in Niger, here are some things you can do.

Promote decentralization of the existing education system, allowing textbooks and different learning materials to reach the places in need of them the most. This also allows for more specificity, as different communities can receive adequate materials for their specific needs.

Promote sending qualified teachers and educators to Niger, as having a properly trained teacher is crucial in developing a child’s education. Niger has worked to lessen the amount of parent teachers who do not have the proper credentials behind themselves to be teaching groups of children.

Promoting programs such as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) which make the learning work around the specific needs of the children, rather than the children having to sacrifice to learn. TVET also provides more real world experiences and education, focusing on teaching skills necessary for Niger’s current common occupations.

Promoting gender equality is also essential to ensuring every child receives the education they deserve. You can advocate and shut down false beliefs to ultimately shift Niger out of its social norms.

Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies’ Ways to Help Which Require Personal Sacrifice!

In order to rapidly and effectively change the education system in Niger in an impactful way, you need to sacrifice something of yours, whether it is time or money, with the end goal of benefiting millions of children. Here are a few ways you can get started.

Donating to the proper programs, such as UNICEF or NRC backed ones, or using the money to build educational facilities directly is helpful. Volunteering to different programs such as Mennonite Central Committee will allow for the opportunity to travel to Niger and help build these facilities too. You can also volunteer to travel and promote any of the previously mentioned ways to help.

Investing in programs which work to revive previously shut down schools is also important. This saves a lot of money, and can be done a lot quicker than it would take to build a whole new school.

Becoming a policymaker in Niger in order to improve laws and policies which are inhibiting education, and make new ones which will promote sending children to school.

Supporting alternative education systems, such as radio learning initiatives, which are taking place. These radio education initiatives allow children to learn from home, meaning they do not have to worry about things such as transportation to and from school. They can remain in safety if they are affected by violence, can still work for their families if it is a must, and can receive education even in the harshest climate conditions in Niger. The radio also isn’t discriminatory of one's gender, meaning anyone can listen and learn.

Advocating for an end to military activity in and around schools is important, as well as promoting an end to unnecessary violence in Niger. It is no less important to also advocate for changes in social norms which are placing these children at jeopardy.

Funding and promoting prepared and anticipatory approaches to known and predictable climate related challenges is also crucial. Implementing strategies which are proactive can allow for children to have back up solutions if attending school becomes impossible. This means children can receive more consistent and uninterrupted education with no lulls in between. 

How to Help if You Have a Say in the Nigerien Government!

 

Although fairly unrealistic as of right now, if the government were to pay families for sending their children to school, the changes in attendance rates would dramatically increase. Whether this payment was in the form of money or food, implementing a strategy such as this would be very beneficial. By monitoring how often a child attends school, the family can be compensated enough to cover anything they are losing because of the lost helping hands. This also means that the child would have a consistent and reliable food source, so they could focus on school rather than fighting for survival. The amount of compensation could be dependent upon geographical location and each families circumstances, with girls being targeted even more than boys, to promote the abolishment of gender inequality and child marriage.

Now although this is not a way in which many of you could help, the best way you could work towards something like this is going back to step one and signing this petition. If enough people read this, eventually the right person will listen.

Make a change big or small, because at the end of the day, every voice matters; from the sign of a petition, to the donation which puts pencils in hands, to Oussama and Youssouf when they become leaders themselves.

Thank you.