Skip to main content

FG, UNICEF partner to reduce number of out-of-school children

Image result for UNICEF
The Federal Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) have called for collaboration to reduce the number of out-of-school children.
Nigeria currently has the highest number of out-of-school children with 10.5 million.
UNICEF’s Education Specialist, Swadchet Sankey, at a media dialogue in Kano, on early childhood development (ECD) said the figure was alarming.
The dialogue was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Information
She said Nigeria needs to get its early preprimary education right in other to begin to reduce the huge figures.
According to her, building Amajiri schools would not reduce the figure, adding that the federal government  must get its early learning and preprimary education right.
Sankey, who commended the rate of enrollment in schools, called for more efforts to keep children in school.
She said: “We are contributing to the number of out-of-school children.
“One of the strategies of reducing out of school children is not just building amajiri schools, it is not just doing school feeding programmes but we need to get our early learning approach and preprimary education right and ensure that children are enrolled in school.
“We need to be able to create opportunities that allows everybody to have access to quality learning
“We need a national parenting education program. We need parents to understand what ECC means. We need government to understand what ECC is.
“Preprimary education is very important. We need to create an opportunity that gives room for early child learning. Early learning matters because it helps the children to lay the foundation for school.
“Development cannot occur without adequate attention to early childcare. Parents no longer have time to engage with their children. We need to create an enabling environment for parents to support their children.
“Right now in Nigeria our enrollment shows 20 per cent even though the survey is a little bit higher.”
Also, Assistant Director, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Mayowa Aleshi, said the federal government has allocated funds to early childhood development program.
He called for adequate planning and utilization of  resources to expand ECD in the country.
He disclosed that there are about 62,406 primary schools as at 2014, adding that only 28,026 of them had Early Childhood Care and Development Education centres.
According to him, the centres have 56,588 teachers and caregivers with 74% of these population qualified.
He also disclosed that the federal government has set aside “2% of consolidated revenue fund for implementation of UBEC Programme Funding; segregated to a matching grant of 50%,  instructional materials at 15%, teachers’ development at 10% and 5% each of the three components on pre-primary schools.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SSS 3 student wins NSE 2017 Essay Competition

NSE 2017 ESSAY COMPETITION Miss Olasubomi Gbenjo, a 15-year-old student of Good Shepherd Schools, Meiran in Lagos State, on Wednesday emerged winner of the 2017 Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) Essay Competition. Gbenjo, an SSS 3, emerged winner out of the 10, 100 entries received from the Senior Secondary Schools category. She won the competition with her outstanding essay entitled: “Investors Education Critical to Investors’ Participation in the Capital Market’’. She received a N250, 000 worth of shares, N500, 000 scholarship for university education, a laptop, certificate of participation, three sets of computer, a printer and headlining the closing of the stock market. Also, Master Opeyeoluwa Olanipeku, a student of Orita-Mefa Baptist Model College, Ibadan, Oyo State, came second, while Miss Oluchi Chuwkuemeka, a student of Notre Dame Girls Academy, Amoyo from Kwara, won the third prize. Olanipeku received N200, 000 worth of shares, N400, 000 scholarship for university ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Intels Drags FG to Court over Deportation of 102 Expatriate Staff

Alex Enumah in Abuja Intels Nigeria Limited has dragged the federal government before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the government’s deportation of about 102 of its expatriate staff in Nigeria.  The company in the legal battle initiated by its counsel, Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN), has therefore sought an order of court, granting it leave to apply for judicial review of the decision taken by the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), revoking the residence/work permits of 102 expatriates in its workforce.  The Comptroller General of NIS, Muhammed Babandede, had on November 15, 2015, issued statement announcing the revocation of the residence/work permits of Intels expatriate staff in Nigeria. He also issued a directive that the said persons should leave the Nigerian territory on or before November 30.  Intels is owned by former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, who recently dumped the President Muhammadu Buhari-led ruling All Progressives C...
Post a Comment
Read more

Atiku: In pursuit of a life time ambition

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC). His next point of call is unknown. Will he return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or form a new party to acualise his presidential ambition? Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the struggle of the Turaki Adamawa for the presidency.  It was not beyond expectation. Yet, it was the most important political event of last week. The decision was predictable. The ruling party was not caught unawares. Now that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the question is: what next? The eminent politician has kept Nigerians guessing. Will he retrace his steps to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which he deserted, ahead of 2015? Will he take a refuge in one of the smaller parties? Will Atiku form a new party, nurture it and contest on its platform for the presidency in 2019? Although the former vice president has cal...
Post a Comment
Read more