AFED charges govt to partner private schools to meet SDG target

Maryam Abeeb, Abuja

Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) has called on the Federal and state governments, as well as international agencies to partner low-income schools in the country, so as to be on the path of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) educational targets.
President of the association, Orji Kanu, who spoke while addressing journalists on the maiden edition of the association’s “Africa education conference,” in Lagos, said stakeholders, must demonstrate logical commitment in widening access and providing quality basic education to the African child.
He said there are overwhelming facts that the country might not meet the 2030 target, adding that the present figure of out-of-school children in the country is still alarming.
This development, Kanu explained has made it imperative for all stakeholders to collaborate on how to ensure that pupils complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education by 2030.
All these, he added, will be addressed at the association’s conference themed, “The SDGs educational target: Facts and fictions,” scheduled for Thursday and Friday, July 25 and 26, 2019 at the University of Lagos.
He said, the International Patron of the association, James Tooley; National Patron, Prof Pat Utomi; Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana; former CEO of Corona School, Folasade Adefisayo, are among the technocrats that will speak at the conference.
He said: “AFED is the largest umbrella body for low-cost paying schools in Africa, whose quest is to make quality education accessible for all in line with the United Nations (UN) action plan on education for all. The UN in her effort as a world body is doing everything to articulate plans and put machinery in motion to actualise SDG4 educational target.
He continued: “We have on many occasions said that government can reduce the number if conscious and concrete collaboration is established with low-fee paying schools like AFED member schools.
“Nigeria is the most populous black nation in the world. This posits that its educational development in Africa cannot be subjected to wishful thinking but rather, conscious thinking by everyone involved in the sector. We need to urgently address the out-of-school children issue in the country.
He continued: “We have on many occasions said that government can reduce the number of conscious and concrete collaboration is established with low-fee paying schools like AFED member schools. This fact was authenticated by the research work done by DFID through its programme named DEEPEN.
“We are inviting the public to join us in the quest to give education to the African child. It is also high time the UN and other international organisations supporting education development in the region rethink their stand on state-owned and low-fee schools.”