A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Save the Children International has called on Gombe state Government to intensify awareness in order to improve school enrolment for 2019/2020 academic session and reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
The Community Engagement and Advocacy Coordinator of the NGO, Mr. Akpan Effiong stated this while speaking with Journalists in Gombe on Tuesday.
He said that the call became necessary given the number of out-of-school children in the state which is over 400,000 according to a Universal Basic Education (UBE) report.
Effiong noted that failure to tackle the menace could lead to an upsurge in crimes.
He said :“The state government needs to convene a stakeholders’ summit were religious and traditional leaders, opinion molders, parents and community heads, will have to discuss exhaustively the issue at hand and proffer solutions.
“The state government should also reach out to the private sector that is willing for partnership toward addressing the educational challenges.
“By bringing in their resources to bridge the gap in the sector and improve school enrolment.
He further said that out of 13.2 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, Gombe has over 400, 000 children roaming the streets and most of them are girls.
He suggested that the government must act fast by declaring a state of emergency with action and result-oriented policies to reverse the situation at hand and investing heavily in the sector.
Effiong decried the deliberate refusal by most states to pay their counterpart fund under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) initiative of the Federal Government to boost enrolment and improve education.
Also speaking Mrs. Suuda Mustapha, the Chairperson Better Life for Girls Media Group in Gombe, said that in addressing the out-of-school menace, priority should be given to the girl-child.
According to her, for any government that wants to end poverty, investing in girl-child education should be the way out.
“When the girl-child is educated, she is empowered to solve the challenges of life,” she said.
She expressed confidence that the present administration would deliver on its campaign promises as regards education.
