The Federal Ministry of Education has said that out of 20 million out-of-school children across Nigeria, Bayelsa State is among the states with the highest figures, in spite of a Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Law the state enacted in 2018.
The Minister of State for Education, Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nana Opia stated this at the flag-off ceremony of the National Campaign on out-of-school children in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on Tuesday.
According to the Minister, 60 percent of out-of-school children in Bayelsa State are girls, and as a result of this anomaly, the federal government through the instrumentality of the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) is doing everything humanly possible to assist the states to strengthen basic education by confronting factors that deny children early education.
He appealed to the state government to Implement and enforce the Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Law, under which parents of children of school age between 6-18 years who are out-of-school will be arrested and prosecuted.
He further explained that the bill which seeks to make it compulsory for every parent and guardian to send their children to school in order to rid Bayelsa state of out-of-school children and school dropouts is very vital in ensuring that the policies and programs of his ministry succeed.
Furthermore, the Minister said that the flag-off is designed to ensure massive enrolment of children in basic and primary schools and should be taken seriously by all stakeholders, adding that it is a moral and legal obligation which will guarantee the future of the children and by necessary implication, the Nation.
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He commended the successive administrations in Bayelsa State for the special attention accorded to education, including the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector in the state, the introduction of a free education policy at primary and secondary levels and the inauguration of the enrollment drive committee, all of which have led to a huge enrollment in schools in the state.
In his keynote address, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa state, His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri said education remains the first, second and third priorities of his administration even as he announced that there are two hundred and fifty thousand children out-of-school in Bayelsa, particularly in the ruler areas.
Governor Diri appealed to all Bayelsans to cooperate with his administration in the implementation of relevant laws to help rid the state of out-of-school children.
Diri further revealed that relevant laws are already in place and what is required is for all hands to be on deck for its implementation while challenging the State Assembly to put in place a sound oversight mechanism to ensure that the relevant rules are implemented.
He appealed to Bayelsans to see education beyond certificate acquisition with emphasis on skills acquisition which is key to human existence.
Earlier at a courtesy call on the Governor in Government House, the Minister said the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari attaches a great premium to the issues of out-of-school children across the country, calling for all hands to be on deck to tackle the phenomenon.
In his reaction, Governor Diri expressed appreciation for the government’s concern for out-of-school children, assuring that His administration stands ready to support the efforts of the Federal government in tackling the out-of-school children phenomenon.
The Governor used the occasion to inform the Minister that Bayelsa state is up to date in its counterpart funding for Basic education up to 2022 and was awaiting the Federal government component (UBEC) to hit the ground running.
