ONE of the social challenges that has attracted public discourse on human education development is the problem of out-of-school children. For any society to make socioeconomic and political progress devoid of setbacks occasioned by ignorance, the populace must be educated at elementary institutions.
But the greatest worry towards achieving this goal is the unabated and embarrassing cases of out-of-school children, especially in most states in Nigeria where children have been stopped from going to school due to families’ financial incapacitation, insecurity, or religion. This is an aberration in the 21st century.
Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, Dr. Tushar Rane, revealed that despite the importance of education, at least, more than 10 million school-aged children in Nigeria are out of school. The mind-bugging revelation spoke volumes of the degree of neglect that has characterized the education system in the country.
Instead of advancing education, Nigeria seems to be static, because the same story of out-of-school children has been featured in various policies for salvaging education in recent decades. While the situation continues to attract questions, leaders at all levels have pretended that the country is on sound stead and marching forward.
Unfortunately, the problem has degenerated from children between six and 12 years to others who have no opportunity to enroll at all. It also embraces students and undergraduates who, for reasons bordering on finance, the death of a parent, or other natural challenges cannot afford to continue and complete their education.
For instance, in Nigeria, in some parts of Nigeria, the Almajiri culture has discouraged children from attending formal schools, and instead, engage in daily begging to support their masters and to feed them. There are also cases of children being reluctant to enroll in schools. Besides, analysts have identified poor and non-viable policies to drive education, in addition to many parents living in abject poverty and unable to send their children to school.
Before now, Northern Nigeria was identified as an educationally backward area, but in recent times, the South has undermined children aspiring to go to school by discouraging them through policies that are non-viable.
A recent cluster survey conducted by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also revealed that about eight percent of children in the Southwest are out of school on average across all the six states in the region. Similar findings could be made in other parts of the country.
Among the out-of-school children are those who completed primary school but lacked the wherewithal to continue to the secondary school level due to some of the identified problems.
Considering the level the country is degenerating in terms of vices and the economy, steps must be taken to arrest the situation, educate the children to realise their full potential and save them from losing completely in life.
For instance, if the children are abandoned in the streets, they are exposed to crime and eventually become ready manpower to be recruited by terrorists and bandits already unleashing mayhem in the country. Moreover, many will grow into adults with limited economic and self-sustaining opportunities.
Consequently, it is time to pursue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Education for All (EFA) goals of educating all children at all levels and empowering them for a better future. This should be the concern of all levels of government in the country.
The government must appreciate rights of children to education and begin to make huge investments in education, especially in the North, for the children to acquire basic education. To achieve this, more schools can be built, and incentives like uniforms, books, stipends,etc provided for the children.
Also, the government should begin an enlightenment campaign to educate children and parents on the need to embrace formal education at a learning age. In addition, the security challenges that have stopped many children from going to school should be addressed.
On their part, parents, community leaders, and opinion leaders should support policies aimed at educating the children and help mobilise them to school.
In this 21st century, the nation cannot continue to be bordered by a problem such as ‘out-of-school’ children. It must be decisively dealt with and stopped by every necessary means.
