President Muhammadu Buhair said Thursday that it is now a crime for parents not to send their children to school.
The president said this at the inauguration of the National Economic Council (NEC) for the year 2019-2023 at the State House in Abuja.
“On education, I want to stress in particular the need to take very seriously and enforce very rigorously the statutory provisions of free and compulsory basic education. Section 18 (3) of the Nigerian constitution places on of all of us here an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide compulsory basic education.
“Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every Government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.
“It is indeed a crime for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period. In my view, when a government fails to provide the schools, teachers and teaching materials necessary for basic education, it is actually aiding and abetting that crime,” he said.
The president urged governors to mobilise local government chairmen in their various states to provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum.
“This is, therefore, a call to action. I would like to see every governor rise from this meeting and rally his local government chairmen towards ensuring that our schools offer the right opportunities and provide the needed materials and teachers for basic education, at the minimum. If we are able to do this, the benefits will surely manifest themselves.
“Ensuring proper education during the first nine years of schooling means that our children start off their lives with some discipline and education. They will be safeguarded from roaming the streets, and protected from all the evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds.
“Whatever they choose to do thereafter, children with basic education will be better prepared to learn and to appreciate their own role in society. This will also go a long way in solving our security and other anti-social problems, which are often the manifestations of early delinquency. I therefore think every governor here should make a firm commitment to be personally involved in ensuring that every child of school age actually goes to school throughout the crucial nine years of basic education,” he said.
The president said the federal government would expand its school feeding programme in order to encourage school enrolment.
“On our own part, the federal government will strive to extend the school feeding programme which will not only encourage school enrolment but also enhance the health and learning capabilities of pupils. We will also assist States as much as possible to access the counterpart funding provided by UBEC for the development of basic education,” he said.
