By Umar Muhammad Puma
The House of Representatives has expressed concerned over the increase in number of children that are presently out of school in the country.
The House has therefore mandated its committee on education and the human rights committees to investigate the menace.
The House, in a motion sponsored by 12 members and read by Rep Beni Lar (PDP, Plateau), also called on the information ministry as well as the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to commence orientation programmes for parents on the need to embrace education.
Rep. Lar acknowledged that education is one of the basic rights of all children, as contained in section 18 (3) of the Constitution, but lamented that “the number of Nigerian children who are not attending schools is increasing at an alarming rate.”
She told the House that a recent UNESCO report, had put that Nigeria has 10.5 million children who are not attending schools, amounting to 47% of the global figure of the out of school children.
“That report is an indictment on the political leadership of the country as there has not been any improvement in the enrolment of children into schools despite the huge sums allocated annually to education.
“This huge number of children not attending schools portends a grave danger to the growth and prospects of the country and if the trend is not urgently reversed, would jeopardize the future of these children who could thereby resort to crime,” she explained.
Members who spoke during the debate on the motion attested on the need for improvement in the enrollment of children to schools in the country.
