FG assures security in schools ahead of resumption

By Maryam Abeed

The Federal Ministry of Education has assured security in Schools ahead of resumption, by lining up proactive measures aimed at ensuring the safety of schools and students.

 Minister of State for Education, Rt Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah reiterated this during a press briefing to mark this year’s International Day to protect education from attack, held at the Minister’s Conference Room at the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja. 

The minister revealed that necessary procedures in line with international best practices have been deployed to ensure the protection of schools and students under a project tagged; “School Safety Policy”.

 According to the minister, proactive programs like Education in Emergency Working Group, Nigeria (EiEWG) which was established in 2012 due to the challenge of armed conflict by the Boko Haram insurgency in North East Nigeria, and the Inaugurated Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) in April 2017 which Nigeria was amongst the first group of 37 countries to officially endorse the inter-governmental political commitment, ratified by President Muhamadu Buhari in 2019, are getting due implementation attention in the ministry.

 Rt Hon Opiah said that the ministry is committed to the operational terms and guidelines aimed at protecting students, teachers, schools and universities from the worst effects of armed conflict, supporting the continuation of education/learning even during armed conflicts, implementing concrete measures to deter security forces from using schools as military bases. 

Further to the commitment of the ministry is the strengthening of the monitoring and reporting of attacks on educational institutions; investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of attacks on educational facilities and providing assistance to victims.

 The minister said “in view of the above, the federal ministry of education among other strategies promotes school-based management committee, designed as a strategy to enlist community participation in the management of education through the initiation, execution, administration and ownership of designated school projects”.