Out-of-school children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern that Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children globally, with only 63% of primary school children regularly attending school.
The UN agency also lamented that a staggering 10.2 million primary school-age children and an additional 8.1 million at the junior secondary level are out of school in Nigeria.
This was stated by the Chief of Field Office, Bauchi UNICEF Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane in a Goodwill message during a 2-day Regional Stakeholders Engagement Meeting on the Out-of-School Children and the Retention, Transition, and Completion Models in Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa states.
UNICEF further expressed deep concern with the rate of out-of-school children, and low learning achievement in the country, especially in the North-East and North-West sub-regions.
Citing Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2021, Rane said only 84 % of children effectively transition to junior secondary education after primary school completion.
Note
The Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with the state governments in different states of the federation sometimes together to fund a special school feeding program to eradicate the high rate of Out-of-School Children nationwide.
The program, like it was done in some states including Osun, had the students being given a free meal at schools, and it covers basic classes from Primary 1 to 3.
This encouraged students to always turn themselves in for learning at schools with not much persuasion.
The food items given to the students are rotated to ensure a balanced diet and the results have been positive.
Taking Osun State as an instance, the school feeding program existed throughout the tenures of former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola, and its impact in reducing the rate of Out-of-School Children was commendable until recently when the administration of Ademola Adeleke retired the program with no substitution.
In the colonial days and when the likes of Pa Obafemi Awolowo, Pa Ahamadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikwe were the Heads of the regional government, free education was the greatest tool used to reduce the rate of Out-of-School Children.
However, if the government at all levels, today, has found it difficult to emulate the old strategies, what are the means you believe they can devise to curb the menace of this high rate of Out-of-School Children across the states of the federation?
Category: World-News
Tag: Nigeria Has The Highest OutofSchool Children In The World UNICEF Expresses Worry
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Published 5/9/2024 2:32:44 PM