…says 10m school-age children affected in Nigeria
Segun Babatunde, Bauchi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed worry that despite the importance of education, at least, over 10 million school-age children in Nigeria are out of school.
To this end, it reiterated it’s commitment to engage traditional/religious stakeholders, School Based Management Committees and youths in Bauchi state to ensure effective awareness and mobilization of parents, guardians, communities on the importance of enrolling all school-age children in schools.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office Bauchi,Dr Tushar Rane who was speaking in his his welcome remarks at a Media Dialogue on “Out of School Children in Bauchi State”, held at the Chartwell hotel, Misau local government area of Bauchi State Wednesday, stressed that education plays a vital role in the development of any country.
“And quality education, especially at basic level, is integral to socio-economic development; no nation can rise above its educational level.
Rane also emphasised that though education is a fundamental right that empowers children to reach their full potentials, but however lamented that “it is deeply concerning that, due to varying factors, a significant number of children in Bauchi state are unable to access this fundamental right, robbing them of their dreams and aspirations.
He however said that “This is a major challenge to all of us. But at UNICEF, we are committed to improving the lives of children and women in Nigeria, especially in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and the Education for All (EFA) goals of educating all children at all levels and in all groups.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office explained that “We work with the government to enhance planning for improved delivery of education. We also support the government to remove systemic barriers that impede children’s access to quality education”.
According to him, “Our work with the government is further enhanced through collaboration with traditional leaders, Civil Society Organizations, faith-based organizations, communities, and other development partners to find solutions that will result in getting the out-of-school children back to school”.
He then called on the media as drivers of social discourse “to let the discussions from this media dialogue motivate us, to amplify the voices of out-of-school-children, advocate for change, and to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind.
“This media dialogue will be a platform for open and constructive discussions on the root causes of the issue of out-of-school-children, the challenges hindering school-aged children’s access to education, and most importantly, the potential solutions that we can collectively work towards in Bauchi state.
He also said that,”In this year’s enrollment drive campaign, we will be engaging traditional/religious stakeholders, School Based Management Committees, and youths to ensure effective awareness and mobilization of parents, guardians, communities, on the importance of enrolling all school-age children in schools. The media must also be on board.”
Tushar Rane stressed that,”We all have roles to play in ensuring children of school age in Bauchi state are enrolled into school at the right age. By working hand in hand, we can pave the way for a brighter and more inclusive future for children in Bauchi and beyond.”
“I welcome all of you here today, as we gather to brainstorm on one of the most critical challenges facing our dear state, Bauchi – the issue of school age children who are not in school. I appreciate the government of Bauchi State for the partnership with UNICEF to improve the education outcomes in the state,” he added.
He concluded saying,”I commend all of you for your support to the cause of advancing child rights concerns in Nigeria and I reiterate our commitment to strengthening the partnership with you to ensure that all school age children in Nigeria, including those in Bauchi State, fulfil their right to quality education.”
The State Ministry of Education in its submission by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Yakubu Ahmed agreed that the issue of out of school children is a menace that needs different approaches to tackle.
He stressed that the approaches must be evolved based of the specific needs of each areas stressing that the problems cannot be the same the more reason that critical study must be made to know the needs of the area.
Ahmed assured that the Ministry of Education will continue to collaborate with UNICEF and other relevant agencies in the educational sector on how to effectively tackle the menace of out of school children in the state.
