Nigeria’s Education Minister Demands Implementation Of Safe School Guidelines 

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has called for urgent implementation of the guidelines on the National Policy on School Safety, Violence-Free Schools across States in the country

The Minister challenged the 36 states of the federation to rise up to their responsibilities, and provide a safe and secure learning environment for both students and teachers.

Adamu made the calls while addressing participants at the 66th Meeting of the National Council on Education held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

According to the Minister, the Federal government and some states as well as the Federal Capital Territory have done their best to arrest situations of incessant attacks on schools while several other states are lagging behind.

“During our time, the federal government has carried out effective sensitisation on the implementation of the Safe School Declaration (SSD) Initiative; (ii) secured $20 million for accelerated emergency funding for the North-east zone from Global Partnership for Education; conducted vulnerability survey on schools in order to devise robust security strategies (iv) constructed perimeter walls around schools, installed CCTV/ alarm systems in schools, temporarily abolished boarding in rural areas, coached students and teachers on emergency security measures and created a special security unit for schools”

“Today I would like to call on all states to rise up to their responsibilities, and provide a safe and secure learning environment for both students and teachers”

“We must make our schools safe and secure at all costs” Adamu added.

Adamu then requested the states to immediately domesticate the guidelines based on their circumstances. The Minister of Education further stated that States are responsible for the continued increase in the numbers of Out of School Children (OSC) in Nigeria; adding that the figure has remained constant.

He stated that “Out-of-School Children: Improving Access to Quality Basic Education In 2015, the Federal Ministry of Education developed a document titled ‘Education for Change; A Ministerial Strategic Plan’ (MSP) (2018-2023)”

“The specific goal of the programme is to reduce the number of out-of-school children to the barest minimum among the ranks of the disadvantaged, the marginalised and those affected by crises, disasters and other socio-economic factors”

Adamu urged the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC), the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) to prioritise the Implementation of the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), an alternative basic education programme for out-of-school children and youth (10 to 18 years) in Nigeria.

He added that these programmes will address the Out of School challenge across states.

The Minister of State For Education, Good luck Nana Opiah, said the theme of the Council meeting “Strengthening of Security and Safety in Nigeria schools for the Achievement of Education 2030 Agenda” is timely considering the challenges and incessant attacks on schools and other public institutions.

According to Opiah, “these attacks such as kidnapping, Banditry among others are confronting the education sector thereby stabilising the nation’s educational system and eating deep into the foundations of the country’s existence and exposing the Nigerian education sector to traumatic experiences”

“This trauma can put our education system in a state of comatose; if nothing is urgently done to combat the menace” Opiah added.

National assembly’s input

Chairman Senate Committee on Education, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, emphasised the need to provide adequate security for schools across the country.

Boroffice expressed the concerns of the National Assembly on the present state of public schools and their security, he added that the lawmakers are in the process of looking into the 2023 budgetary allocations and will prioritise the issues of security in schools and education as a whole.

“We will ensure that security challenges facing schools will be catered for” He Said.

UNICEF Chief of Education, Saadhna Panday says Nigeria now need to focus strongly on full-scale coordinated delivery and implementation of minimum standards on safe schools urgently.

Panday, said, Nigeria has a strong policy landscape in support of safe schools.

“School safety cannot be dealt with in isolation from the other challenges facing Nigeria’s education system. Children are out of school because they feel unsafe, and when children fail to go to school and learn, this heightens their participation in risky behaviour including in conflict and violence”

“Nigeria has a strong policy landscape in support of safe schools. We know what to do to keep our children safe in schools. What is now needed is a strong focus on how to deliver coordinated implementation of the minimum standards on safe school at scale and with urgency” the UNICEF Chief added.

UNICEF Support

Panday disclosed that UNICEF is currently supporting the Nigerian government to develop a national costed implementation plan.

“This is being replicated for 11 states with the highest risk profiles”

The UNICEF Education Chief however called for a concrete roadmap to achieve a formidable financing milestone in the education sector.

 

 

Olusola Akintonde