Over 2 million Children out of school in northeast-says UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has lamented that over two million children are out of school; denying them access to education in the Northeast.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office, in Borno state, Mr. Gilmar Cruz, who raised the alarm, during a workshop to launch the Global Partnership in Education with Accelerated Funding (GPE-AF) project, said about 180, 000 of the affected children are in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states.
The workshop is supported by GPE-AF on education and learning for children in emergencies in the Northeast.
He said participants from the three states, are to discuss education and learning programmes for children in the conflict affected region.
Mr. Cruz further disclosed that even children who have access to education, however, face a lot of challenges to remain in school.
“Many of our children are not learning the necessary skills to succeed in their lives,” noting that the communities are not empowered to send their children to school.
Lamenting on out of school children, he said: “It is urgent and our duty to find solutions to the challenges that our children face.
“UNICEF and other partners can only do that by empowering our communities and working together at federal and state levels,” assuring that the UN agency is committed to support governments in returning children into schools.
Reiterating the return of children to schools, he said that it is only by working together that the education challenges could be overcome in the northeast.
According to Cruz, the launched project will build on the gains made through the previous GPR-AF 2020-2023. implemented successfully in 24 LGAs across the BAY states.
He said the gains were made during the successful implementation of the project in 24 local councils across affected the region.
He, therefore, thanked the Federal and State Ministries of Education and State Universal Basic Education Boards for their commitments of returning children to school.
Corroborating UNICEF’s lamentations on children out of school, the Borno State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Executive Secretary, Prof. Bulama Kagu said that in 2014, the out of school children was 1.3 million in the state, but returned only 600, 000 street children to schools.
He attributed the out of school children to insecurity and poverty in the state, particularly the occupation of Abadam, Guzamala and Marte Local Government Areas.