Stakeholders call for action to protect Nigerian students, schools

Stakeholders in the education sector have called for urgent action to protect students and schools across the country.

The stakeholders who made the call on Monday in Abuja included; leaders, educators, and advocates.

They discuss the implications of this on the education sector and its impact on learners while observing the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.

UNICEF said Nigeria’s education system faces an alarming crisis, with 10.2 million children of primary school age, and another 8.1 million of junior secondary school age are out of school, and 74 percent of children aged 7–14 lacking basic reading and math skills.

This crisis is compounded by increasing attacks on schools, with 19 documented incidents in 2022 and 2023, leading to the closure of 113 schools in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states due to insecurity. These stark realities highlight the urgent need for combined action to protect education nationwide.

The event, organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in collaboration with UNICEF, focused on raising awareness about the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools (MSSS) and discussing concrete steps to enhance school safety nationwide.

Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, Honorable Minister of State for Education, emphasizes the need to utilize the National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Schools (NPSSVFS) and the National Minimum Standards for Safe Schools for the operationalization of safe school policies, noting that these guidelines are essential for ensuring consistent safety standards across educational institutions, thereby reducing casualties during imminent attacks”.

Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of UBEC, reemphasized the collective responsibility in safeguarding education. “Implementing the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools is essential to addressing the safety challenges our schools face. Governments, communities, and partners must collaborate to ensure that every Nigerian child can learn in a safe and supportive environment.”

UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, echoed this sentiment. “Ensuring our children’s safety in schools is a shared responsibility. The Minimum Standards for Safe Schools provide a critical framework for protecting education in Nigeria, but it requires all of us to commit to its implementation. The discussions and commitments made today are vital for creating secure learning environments for every child in Nigeria.”

The discussions were based on evidence from the 2023 Minimum Standards for Safe Schools implementation assessment, which revealed that states, on average, fulfill only 9 out of the 21 standards intended to ensure protective learning environments. Bridging this gap between policy and practice was a central theme of the discussions, with participants calling for intensified efforts to close it.

It is worthy to note that states score highest in preventing violence against children and creating strong school systems for safety through training and awareness.

However, they score lowest in school infrastructure, with just 14 percent of schools meeting basic safety requirements such as perimeter fencing and lockable gates. Notably, fewer than 1 in 5 schools are performing well overall.  While the 2023 assessment collected data from 10 states, UNICEF is partnering with the government to expand the assessment to 18 states for 2024.