Expert canvasses support, funding for nomadic education in 2021 budget

By Maryam Abeeb

A don, Mary Oyewale, has expressed support for improvement in educational provision and training opportunities, under the 2021 budget, specifically for Nomads, for them to be part of the nation’s development plans.
Oyewale of the Department of Arts and Languages, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, who made the call in Ado-Ekiti, stated that every Nigerian child had a right to equal educational opportunity, irrespective of real or imagined disabilities.
“There is the need for the nomads to be given attention academically, in order to satisfy their educational needs and interests. No doubt that great quality assurance will be achieved in the Nomadic Education programme in Nigeria, if given the desired encouragement,” she said.
Oyewale further said that the importance of nomadic education could not be over-emphasised or down played, as it was a means by which society eradicated illiteracy and enhanced the socio-economic conditions of the rural populace.
She identified challenges confronting nomadic education as: inadequate teaching and learning materials, lack of up-to-date statistics and lack of developed policies aimed at providing nomads the type of education that suited their lifestyle.
Others, she said, were insufficient funds, inadequate infrastructure, lack of adequate supervision and monitoring by local, state officials.
The don recommended the inclusion of members of nomadic groups in national planning and decision making, as concerned nomadic issues, so as to achieve the desired objectives and targets.
She urged governments at all levels to create avenues for feedback from the people as regards developments on nomadic education.
Oyewale also called on the National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE) to ensure recruitment and training of more teachers for deployment to areas where nomadic education was being practiced.
“The use of information and communication technology can also be of great assistance in championing nomadic education, especially in dealing with difficulties over COVID-19.
“Since the Fulani nomads stay mostly in the bush and always on the move with their families, Information, Communication and technology (ICT)-based distant teaching and learning may be of great help in bridging the educational gap,” Oyewale added.