On-out-of school children

That one out of five out-of-school children in the world is in Nigeria is worrisome and quite appalling. The resources to be used to educate the Nigerian children are available but the political will on the part of the successive government in the country isn’t there. The report of UNICEF that Nigeria has 20 per cent of the out-of-school children in the world should be a challenge to government at all levels to rise to the occasion to salvage the education system of the country.

But there is no commitment on the part of the government to do the needful to make the country’s education functional and attractive to the children. In October, 2018, the out-of-school children number was put at 13.2 million. Literacy level can’t be expected to rise under this condition of ours. The Federal Government in April 2019, disclosed that there were 10.2 million children not in school across the country.

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The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Akanbi, during a visit to the Osun State governor, along with some other traditional rulers in the state, explained the essence of formal education. He mentioned the threat he issued to the Fulani living in the state that he would arrest them for refusing to enroll their children in school. His call for qualitative education for Fulani is highly commendable as that will help stem the avoidable clashes between farmers and herdsmen and banditry in the state and country. But a threat to arrest the parents is wrong.

But before the reluctant parents are arrested, certain things must have been done. The responsibility of providing qualitative and quantitative education lies with the government. The government has to make education accessible and affordable – basic education should be free – for all citizens. Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the country says it’s a-n obligation of the government to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education.  Before the parents are arrested, government should do more in terms of sponsoring free and basic education.

Timothy Faboade, Oyo State.