The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation has released a shocking report
indicating that one out of every five Nigerian children is out of
school.
In what is clearly a national disgrace
for a country that is the world’s eight largest oil producer, the UNESCO
Education for All Global Monitoring Report (EAGMR) says Nigeria holds
the world record of having the highest number of its young people out of
school.
With approximately 10.5 million kids out
of school, Nigeria dominates twelve other countries with which it
accounts for 47 percent of the global out-of-school population.
The other countries are Pakistan (5.1
million); Ethiopia (2.4million); India (2.3million); Philippines
(1.5million); Cote D’Ivoire (1.2million); Burkina Faso (1million); Niger
(1million); Kenya (1million); Yemen (0.9million); Mali (0.8million) and
South Africa (0.7million).
And of all these countries, UNESCO says Nigeria is among the four that has experienced the highest increase since 1999.
“It
(Nigeria) is one of only four among these twelve countries where the
number increased in absolute terms,” the report noted. “It now accounts
for almost one in five out-of-school children in the world.”
Although, UNESCO officials blame the
drop in school enrolment in some countries on the decrease in aid
between 2010 and 2011, anecdotal evidence suggests that the monumental
corruption at all levels of government might have worsened Nigeria’s
case.
In Nigeria, officials routinely steal
funds appropriated for building classrooms, buying textbooks and
implementing programmes that should bring more children to school.
Recently some officials were indicted
for stealing funds released to the nomadic education commission, an
agency charged with the responsibility of getting Fulani herdsmen to
enroll their kids in school.
“This is a shame for our country,” says
Femi Falade, a private school owner in Ijebu-Ode. “President Jonathan
and state governors should bury their heads in shame.”
In a statement Monday, Kate Redman,
Communications Specialist, Education for All Global Monitoring Report
(EAGMR), of UNESCO in Abuja, said the amount of aid to basic education
Nigeria received in 2011 was 28 per cent lower than it received in 2010.
“It is in the top 10 countries for the largest decrease in aid from 2010-2011.”
It is not clear whether Ms. Redman was talking about aid from the Nigerian government or from donor agencies.
The statement said new statistics showed
that 57 million children were out of school globally in 2011, which was
a drop of two million from 2010.
It said that aid to basic education had
decreased for the first time since 2002, adding that the world must move
beyond helping children enter school to also ensure that they learnt
the basics there.
“Our twin challenge is to get every
child in school by understanding and acting on the multiple causes of
exclusion and to ensure they learn with qualified teachers in healthy
and safe environments.
It called on donors to renew their commitments so that no child was left out of school due to lack of resources.
It also noted that funds were not
directed to the regions and countries most in need, adding that only 1.9
billion dollars (about N296.4bn) was allocated to low income countries
in 2011.
The report, however, urged donors to
prioritise countries and regions most in need as sub-Saharan African
accounted for more than half of out-of-school children.
This is a northern problem. Its prevalence io the north.they have ruled 4 40yrs,still no good education. Minister for edu is 4rm there to eluviate their problem,but nothing is hapening
ReplyDeleteFemi,you always fault the present govt in any issue. Every body knows that the problem is basically from the north where you will see 1 man,30children
ReplyDeleteThe rating was only concluded based on what they ascertained in the north. Sec sch students in govt schls in the north are still being convinced with bread and tea during break so that they will continue to come to sch. Archaic pple.what is minister of edu who s a northerner doing abt it
ReplyDeleteIt a shame for you to blame citizens of the failure of the government of this country.from all indication you have no idea abaut the north for you to give such statement.with people like you Nigeria will never develop becouse you are trapped in hating one part of the country and judging them without knowing anything about them.shame on you.
DeleteReally? Very easy to castigate d north. What of d ibo boys dt go as "apprentice" to learn trade n after 5 yrs become"oga"? Go back n research "Boy education in Nigeria". The Akwa Ibo, girls dt are taken to major Nigerian cities as house girls; bini girls that are "exported" for prostitution?! Go back n take a serious look.
ReplyDelete…and our south-south youths that beliebe they don't have to go to school to "make money". Their birth right, oil money, MUST be doled out to them in form of amnesty cash. Theh simplt form community groups, carry arms and harrass investors!
ReplyDeleteanony 8;10 pm i like your comment 1 man 30 children. Hope the useless Asari Dokubo is listening who recently argue about north population. we are proud of that. if the south want to rule for forty years as north did, let them improve on their reproduction because democracy is a game of number.
ReplyDeleteThe major issue in this case is not reproduction. Public primary education is free anyway. The issue is not about tribe and people should think before writing here.
ReplyDeleteThe government at all level has a responsibility to correct this obvious failure. In this age, some schools have no adequate sitting facilities and school children sit on the floor. That is a major problem. How can children learn well on the floor?
GEJ should be ashamed of this because he has been in power long enough in Nigeria to know the problems in the education system. Yet, he has done nothing about the problem and many leaders in his government have their children abroad at the nation's expense.
Why is the leadership in Nigeria destroying the life of our children through lack of education facilities?
Corruption is depriving our children of their basic education. That is the cause of extremist groups like Boko Haram.
The Presidency was very quick to rebuke the recent report of APC as empty shell. Yet, the current report exonerates APC totally. How can the Presidency tackle the problems in basic education if it has not recognised the obvious failures of government?
Why must we blame the President for every failure? What are the states governors doing? If some states can give free education, why not other states? What is the minister of education doing? The minister is supposed to get things done cos I'm very sure she has the support of the president. The president cannot be everywhere at all times and that's why we have the governors, ministers, senators, honourable members and chairmen of local governments. Let everyone SIT UP! KJoe
ReplyDeleteLet every local government sponsor at least 100 pupils for the pre-basic education and let the states government take over their sponsorship to the senior secondary level. By so doing, 77, 400 children will be have access to a formal education in a year. Let members of the house and senators as well as the federal government provide the necessary structures to facilitate this. Before we know it, a whole number of children will be in school. What legacy is our leaders leaving behind if they can't give Nigerian children a proper formal education under a very condusive environment? If the children are not educated, it simply implies no future for the country. Nigeria is too rich to be tagged this way. This is a very serious issue that demands a state of emergency. KJoe
ReplyDeleteI'm not too surprised. Our government is not doing enough to improve on our education system - high fees and most of the public schools are in deplorable conditions. I hope things get better.
ReplyDelete