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

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.”