STAKEHOLDERS have tasked the Federal Government to ensure implementation of safe schools declaration and other critical measures to end attacks on educational facilities as well as kidnapping of students and teachers for ransom.
The latest attack was the invasion of the Senior Staff Quarters of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) on Tuesday last week by bandits, where six people were kidnapped, including three members of staff and three children. The kidnappers demanded N300 million ransom but the authorities of the university said no ransom was paid before the victims were rescued by security agencies.
Chairman of the Education Rights Initiative (ERI), Joseph Udah, told Nigerian Tribune that the just-concluded 4th International Conference on ‘Safe Schools Declaration’ in Abuja, where delegates from member states, international organisations and national non-governmental organisation (NGOs) assembled from 25th to 27th October, 2021, should be a wake-up call for the country towards ensuring religious implementation of safe school declaration.
The conference was co-hosted by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), of which Save the Children is a member, in collaboration with the African Union and the governments of Norway, Spain and Argentina.
Attacks on education and the military use of schools and universities increased by a third globally in 2020, according to data released by the GCPEA last month.
The forum enabled the world leaders to discuss ways to strengthen implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration and to ensure education-for-all by moving from “commitment to practice.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, read the communiqué issued at the end of the conference with the theme: “Making Commitment a Reality: The Safe Schools Declaration — from Oslo, the capital of Norway towards the Abuja Conference.”
He noted that the three-day international conference was structured around the following commitments which were the main broad strands on which the discussions were tailored: Using the guidelines and bringing them into domestic policy and operational frameworks as appropriate;
Continuing education during armed conflict by developing alternative learning models if necessary.
Investigating allegations of violations of applicable national and international laws and where appropriate, duly prosecuting perpetrators, and providing assistance to survivors.
The communiqué reads in part: “During the discussions and deliberations, good practices in implementing the commitments of the Safe Schools Declaration were peer-reviewed and highlighted, including military directives not to use schools for military purposes, legislation prohibiting peace keepers from using schools, and measures to deter non-state armed groups from using schools and targeting education structures.
“In addition, we heard about measures undertaken by countries to continue education during the COVID- 19 pandemic when schools were closed, and how these can and are being used to educate children out of the school due to conflict.
“Also, we discussed ways through which safe schools could prevent other grave violations such as recruitment and sexual violence.
“The experiences in the Sahel region were particularly spotlighted and innovative practice in the region were held out as examples to build upon.
“Finally, we examined ways of ensuring justice for survivors, in terms of prosecuting perpetrators of attacks, deterring future attacks, and providing assistance to survivors through the legal system.
“By having a better understanding of how the commitments in the declaration are being implemented in endorsing states across the world, we have been inspired to adapt these approaches to our own contexts, to help us truly move from commitment to practice.
“And we have heard directly from children themselves, in no uncertain terms, including through the demands in their manifesto.”
Some of the recommendations from the conference include ensuring that child protection advisers are part of the military and peacekeeping operations to strengthen protections and pre-empt violations against children.
“Increasing the funding for education in conflict-affected areas and putting accountability mechanisms in place within military structures to ensure there are consequences for violations.
“Completing investigations and fair trials of perpetrators of attacks on education.
“Amending military doctrine to restrict the use of schools and universities by military forces; and advance planning by the military and security agencies to avoid use of schools and universities.
“These are just a few of the recommendations. Every state must strive to meet them.
“We urge other states to make concrete commitments themselves to bring the lessons learned at this conference back home and to work towards building a society in which all children and young people can study and learn in safety and educators and academics can teach and conduct research without the threat of violence,” it said.
Joseph Udah insisted that educational institutions in Nigeria must be made safe and properly secured for effective teaching and learning to place. He decried a situation where children go to classroom with fear while many others have dropped out of school or their schools are closed down because they are prone to attacks.
In the same vein, children in their Manifesto, authored by 300 children across 10 countries, which was launched during the 4th International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration, charged leaders on implementation of the initiative to keep schools safe.
The children made a series of demands to world leaders, including requesting they deny armies access to schools and ensuring paths to schools are free of mines and explosives.
The Children’s Manifesto painted a grim picture of how children face threats and violence while at school, and focuses on the intense fears felt by children in response to these attacks.
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