Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu
By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
The federal government has disclosed that it will deploy all possible measures to protect schools and educational facilities across the country, describing the unwarranted attacks on schools and the abduction of students as unacceptable.
Also it vowed to block all leakages of funds allocated to the education sector in order to make education affordable while improving the quality of the system.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu, stated this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference to herald the commemoration of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
While describing the attacks on schools as regrettable, Sununu said the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would ensure that the Safe School Policy of the federal government is implemented in all its ramifications in order to guarantee safety in schools across the county.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, has already put in place various strategies to deal with these attacks.
The minister also said that the Federal Government had ratified the Safe School Declaration in December 2019 and developed a safe school policy in furtherance of upholding the right to education in emergencies.
He pledged the ministry’s commitment to developing learning centres in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps as well as providing relevant information on threat assessments to schools at all levels.
Nigeria, in the recent past, has had more than a fair share of attacks on our education system at all levels. These attacks are not only physical but also non-physical, especially in deliberate attempts to water down our standards of education.
“The Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with relevant stakeholders, has put in place various strategies to deal with these attacks.
”All our efforts would be geared towards implementing the safe school policy for all. The pre-activities of the celebration include a playlet, dance, drama, poetic rendition, and a quiz competition.
“The presentation by learners is expected to emphasise the need for collaboration and focus on school safety policy for implementation guidance by all stakeholders,” he said.
He explained that the ministry is key to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu and moving Nigeria on the right track.
On the recent hike in school fees, the Minister revealed that the federal government would set up a formal negotiation team between the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and relevant stakeholders to look into the recent hike in fees in schools across the country.
Sununu said that a hike in school fees could be a core factor leading to attacks in schools, hence the need to look into the area to avert further attacks.
Nigeria will be observing the celebration on Friday, September 8, 2023.
