THE United Nations (UN) in April 2000 adopted The Dakar Framework at the World Education Forum in Senegal, with the goal to see that all children receive primary education by 2015, leading to the global movement, Education For All, being championed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Five years after the targeted date, a look at surveys across the country, especially in the South-West, shows that the goal had not been achieved. Across many streets of the region are children of school age, roaming and hawking goods, as they are denied the opportunity of western education.
According to the United Nations, out-of-school children are those who are yet to be enrolled in any formal education, excluding pre-primary education. The age range for this group is between six and 11 years.
In 2010, UNESCO released Global Initiatives on Out-of-School Children report, showing a large numbers of school-aged children not attending school.
The South-West, as it is presently, is facing serious challenges in relation to the phenomenon of out-of-school children. Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data for 2008 in fact shows that some 7.3 million children of primary school age were out of school. When the junior secondary school component is taken into account, the out-of-school children problem becomes even larger, with wide regional, geographical and gender disparities across the country.
Even when enrolled, hundreds of children (especially girls) are not showing up for class. Although girls’ primary school attendance has generally been improving, this has not been the case for girls from the poorest households.
The development is a dwindling fortune for a region whose former Premier and visionary leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, while launching the free primary education in the Western Region in January 1955, had left an indelible imprint in the annals of education in Western Nigeria and the whole country.
The towns covered by the Western Region at the time were greatly impacted by the free education programme, as it produced famous lawyers, doctors, engineers, mathematicians, among many other great Nigerians.
This feat was attested to recently by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido, at the 60th birthday celebration of the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, when he said the free education policy of the sage greatly benefited the people of the region.
The South-West component of the region, however, could no longer boast of the pacesetting status, as its education standard had fallen beyond reasoning, with the attendant poor result in external examinations, increase in number of out-of-school children and high rate of unemployment of its youths.
In 2018, Ekiti State was ranked among the least states in the South-West in children enrolment in schools with 49 per cent enrolment rate.
By May 29, 2020, Oyo State had an estimated number of 463,280 out-of-school children, the highest in the South-West zone.
For Osun State, before 2010 report of UNESCO, the enrollment figure in elementary schools across the state was far below 150,000.
Lagos State, despite its high literacy rate of 96.5 per cent of its total residents, the second highest among states of the federation after Abia State, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, is still battling with out-of-school children syndrome.
Any hope at stemming the tide?
To return the South-West to its pacesetting state in education, all the state governments in the zone had set the ball in motion, launching policies to ensure all children are back in school.
In Ekiti State, the government, ahead of the 2019/2020 academic session, rolled out programmes and policies including payment of about N4 billion to tackle the menace of out-of-school children. The Kayode Fayemi-led administration, worried by the development, scrapped the fees imposed by previous administration on pupils in public primary and secondary schools.
Also, the State Universal Basic Education commenced the massive renovation of schools in the state to make learning more conducive, alongside distribution of educational materials.
Teachers in primary and secondary schools were also trained and motivated through prompt payment of their salaries.
The government procured 8,072 units of plastic pupils’ furniture and constructed 3,375 metallic lockers, while it declared that parents of any child found roaming the streets during school hours would be arrested and prosecuted.
For Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde, declared free education in the state’s primary and secondary schools. To fill the gap created by the stoppage of the payment of N3,000 development levy, the state government, in October 2019, released the sum of N526 million as running grants for public schools for the first term of the 2019/2020 academic session. Another grant for the second term, now into its second half, is being expected by school heads as the governor allocated 22.37 per cent of the total 2020 budget to education.
Apparently in recognition of the outcry over the shortage of teachers in the state, the process of engaging 7,000 teachers and 3,600 non-teaching staff to fill the yawning gap is ongoing in Oyo State.
In Ondo State, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu embarked on the renovation of existing primary schools and construction of new ones across the state, as he dumped the idea of mega school concept of the immediate past administration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko.
The governor said the aim for establishing the schools has been defeated with facilities wasting away as they could not attract more pupils and students.
At present, over 700 different projects had been carried out by the administration in the last three years. Apart from renovation of the schools, learning aids and facilities were installed in many of them to aid learning.
In Ogun, Governor Dapo Abiodu declared emergency in the education sector to address challenges confronting it and, after his inauguration, declared free and mandatory education for all school ages (pre-primary, primary and junior secondary school).
To reduce the incidence of out-of-school children in Osun State, the past administration of Rauf Aregbesola had embarked on construction of massive educational infrastructure in the state.
The administration also introduced Edumarshal policy, a corps set up to pick up children found roaming the streets during school hour and to enrol such in a public school in the state.
In Lagos State, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led government, through SUBEB, set up what it termed “Project Zero” to address the out-of-school children menace in the state.
Executive Chairman of Lagos SUBEB, Mr Wahab Alawiye-King, said “Project Zero” is targeted towards taking out-of-school children in the state off the streets to schools, until there is none again as the state.
Are these policies making impact?
Speaking to Nigerian Tribune, a parent in Ekiti State, who identified herself as Mrs Ronke Adeolu said the policy of the government to arrest parent of out-of-school children necessitated her decision to enrol her seven-year-old daughter in school.
In 2014, Ekiti had 96 per cent enrolment during the first term of Governor Fayemi’s administration, however, the 2018 report put the state as the least among the South-West states with 49 per cent enrolment.
Following the policies of the government, school enrolment has increased to 75 per cent with a promise to do more by the government.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Folusho Daramola, said the policies of the government are yielding as there has been increase in enrolment rate in the state.
“In fact, with what we are witnessing now in our schools, we are having overcrowded classrooms. Parents are sending their wards to the school,” he said.
Also speaking, chairman, Oyo SUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran, said the state was still in the process of collating data regarding the number of out-of-school children returned to school as a result of the World Bank-assisted Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme and free education policy of the state government.
Confirming the increase in school enrolment in primary schools, the head teacher of Muslim Primary School, Ile Oluji, in Ile Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of the state, Mrs Elizabeth Ajayi, said the school had never witnessed such a geometric progression in its enrolment of pupils since it was established in 1955.
Similarly in St. Mathias Primary School, the head teacher, Mr Bayo Olufunmilayo, said the reconstruction of the school had led to the withdrawal of students by their parents from private schools to the newly-renovated public schools.
Chairman of Ondo SUBEB, Princess Oladunni Odu, said over 700 projects had been executed in schools across the state with another 314 projects ongoing.
The non-payment of fees in the public schools in the State, according to the Special Adviser on Primary, Secondary and Technical Education to the governor, Ronke Soyombo, had increased enrolment in primary and secondary schools.
Speaking, Osun State Commissioner for Education, Folorunso Oladoyin Bamisayemi, said “our Edumarshals, saddled with the responsibility of looking for children of school age found roaming the streets, are still working in Osun. We have even strengthened their manpower.”
The bottlenecks: Not yet uhuru
Despite efforts by the governments in abolishing out-of-school children menace, most parents are not cooperating, making this task arduous.
In Lagos, of course there are law forbidden children of school ages to be on the streets, it has been difficult for government to enforce it.
These categories of children, many of them have never been to formal school, while some dropped out midway. They always appear dirty and haggard and are everywhere, especially at the major bus stops such as Iyana Ipaja, Oshodi, Idumota, Oju-Elegba; market places such as Ketu and Ile Epo/Abule Egba markets and in the traffic across the state.
Despite the law banning children from hawking in Ekiti during school hours, Nigerian Tribune observed that some children are still hawking in most communities, especially Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
In Oyo State, the declaration of free education has seen to an increase in enrolment in schools and has brought another challenge for the government.
‘Schools rely on corps members, others’
While the state celebrates an increase in enrolment in schools, the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) lamented the inadequacy of teachers. Pointing to continued retirement of primary and secondary teachers, the state chairman of the NUT, Mr Samson Adedoyin, noted that several schools relied on N-Power beneficiaries, corps members and teachers employed by the PTA.
The increase in enrolment is also stretching the school infrastructure beyond limit as a visit to some schools in Ibadan showed infrastructure deficit.
Schools like Ayodele Samuel Memorial Primary School, Molete; Community Grammar School, Kudeti, show stinking pit toilets, blown off ceilings and roofs, broken windows, damaged doors, damaged floors of classrooms, caved-in roofs, broken and insufficient furniture in classrooms, decrepit classroom blocks.
Recognising the increased pressure on school infrastructure, chairman, Oyo SUBEB, Dr Nureni Adeniran, said the state government met huge deficit and was taking the cases one by one.
“We are not unaware that the free education will bring more people and schools and bring pressure on our infrastructure. The state government is ensuring that most of the schools where infrastructure has not been provided before are taken care of,” he said.
Government should do better—Parents
Notwithstanding the increase in enrolment, a group, Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE), led by Mrs Yinka Ogunde, maintained that available data points to Oyo State still having the highest number of out-of-school children in the South West.
Ogunde urged the state government to establish crèche in market places to take children off the streets during school hours.
Some parents in Ekiti State said despite the efforts to rid the state of out-of-school children syndrom, the government should do more to develop the education sector.
Deputy President of National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (PTAN) and South-West Coordinator of the group, Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told the Nigerian Tribune in an interview that government must have the political will to enforce its own law, not only on this matter but in every other issue of public concerns.