The federal government has reiterated its commitment to deploy all possible measures to protect schools and educational facilities across the country, describing the unwarranted attacks on schools and the abduction of students as unacceptable.
The government has also vowed to block all leakages of funds allocated to the education sector in order to make education affordable while improving the quality of the system.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, stated this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference to herald the commemoration of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
While describing the attacks on schools as regrettable, Sununu said the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would ensure that the Safe School Policy of the federal government is implemented in all its ramifications in order to guarantee safety in schools across the county.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, has already put in place various strategies to deal with these attacks.
The minister also said that the Federal Government had ratified the Safe School Declaration in December 2019 and developed a safe school policy in furtherance of upholding the right to education in emergencies.
He pledged the ministry’s commitment to developing learning centres in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps as well as providing relevant information on threat assessments to schools at all levels.
Nigeria, in the recent past, has had more than a fair share of attacks on our education system at all levels. These attacks are not only physical but also non-physical, especially in deliberate attempts to water down our standards of education.
“The Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, has put in place various strategies to deal with these attacks.
”All our efforts would be geared towards implementing the safe school policy for all. The pre-activities of the celebration include a playlet, dance, drama, poetic rendition, and a quiz competition.
“The presentation by learners is expected to emphasise the need for collaboration and focus on school safety policy for implementation guidance by all stakeholders,” he said.
He explained that the ministry is key to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu and moving Nigeria on the right track.
On the recent hike in school fees, the Minister revealed that the federal government would set up a formal negotiation team between the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and relevant stakeholders to look into the recent hike in fees in schools across the country.
Sununu said that a hike in school fees could be a core factor leading to attacks in schools, hence the need to look into the area to avert further attacks.
“So many areas that require finances are being attacked, but we must also look at the constitutional provisions.
“The constitutional provisions expressly state that free education is available, but with a caveat: ‘when the government can afford it, and that is why it also comes as voluntary contributions by all stakeholders.
“When we say safety in schools, it is a collective responsibility. So we are going to encourage formal negotiations.
“Where we cannot provide, it is to encourage PTA and relevant institutions so that we can agree to a term that is acceptable to all of us.
“Also, we will encourage a lot of partnerships as part of areas that can bring peace. Whether we agree or not, we must appreciate the role of PTAs in sustaining services in lots of our schools at both the local and federal levels.
“So, while we do that with scarce resources, at the ministry level, we try to see how we can block leakages and see how more funds can be available to schools to ensure that quality education is affordable and accessible to every Nigerian without decreasing the quality of education,” he said.
He said at the first inaugural meeting with the president that security was a major factor that featured in the deliberations of the council and the attempt to return at least four million out-of-school children to school.
He said the ministry would ensure it lived up to its responsibilities by ensuring standards at the various educational levels.
The International Day to Protect Education from Attack, observed every year on September 9, is an international observance by the United Nations General Assembly established in 2020.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will be observing the celebration on Friday, September 8, 2023.
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