Begins full implementation of free education, child rights act- Reps tell Govs, FCT Minister

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives,  Thursday, tasked the State Governors and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the need to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Act on compulsory, free universal basic education as well as Child Rights Act across the country.

The House equally urged UBEC to liaise with State Governments who have adopted the Child Rights Act and the UBEC Act for enforcement of the provisions of the law, just as it mandated the joint Committees on the Federal Capital Territory and Basic Education and Services to ensure compliance.

The resolutions followed  the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon Bamidele Salam who underscored the need to reinforce the provisions of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004 in the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country.

 Hon Salam, in lead debate expressed grave concern over the report by the Federal Ministry of Education, in 2021 which showed an estimated number of out-of-school children in Nigeria was about 10.1 million, while the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) put the number at 13.2 million and the figure appears to be on the increase as the Ministry of Education has stated that there has been a more than 3 million increase in the figure from 2020.

“Worried about the report from UNICEF that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa and the highest in the world.

“Aware that Section 18 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that: Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels; Government shall promote science and technology; Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and shall provide free, compulsory, and universal primary education; free secondary education; free university education; and free adult literacy programme.

“Also aware that Section 15 of the Child Rights Act provides that every child has the right to free, compulsory, and universal basic education and it shall be the duty of the Government in Nigeria to provide such education.

“Further aware that Section 15 of the Child Rights Act also provides that every parent or guardian shall ensure that his child or ward attends and completes his primary and junior secondary school education, and any parent who fails in this duty commits an offence and is liable‐ on a first conviction to be reprimanded and ordered to undertake community service; on second conviction to a fine of two thousand naira or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to both such fine and imprisonment; and on any subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding five thousand naira or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two months or to both such fine and imprisonment.

“The House recalls that 27 out of the thirty-six states in Nigeria have adopted and domesticated the Child Rights Act.

“Cognizant that Section 2 of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Act provides that every Government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory, and basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary and that every parent shall ensure that his child or ward attends and completes his primary and junior secondary school education.

“Also cognizant that Section 2(3) of the Act compels stakeholders in education in a Local Government Area to enforce the provisions of Section 2, thus ensuring that every parent or person who has the care and custody of a child sends such child for his primary and junior secondary school education.

“Concerned that the provisions of the UBEC Act and Child Rights Act are not being implemented, considering the statistics of the out-of-school children in Nigeria and the presence of children on the streets hawking, begging, and undertaking all other activities during school hours in the Federal Capital Territory.

“Also concerned that the neglect of children puts their future and the future of Nigeria in jeopardy, as they are exposed to getting recruited into kidnapping and robbery gangs, drugs and other crimes.

“The House is worried that the number of out of school children in the country is on a rapid increase and no arrest of defaulting parents or guardians are being made,” he noted.