A non-governmental organization under the aegis of Community Development Initiative on Thursday called on the Federal Government to “declare a state of emergency in basic education across Nigeria starting with the vulnerable geopolitical zones of North West and North East.”
The CSO also told the government to “accelerate the steps towards securing schools across the most vulnerable parts of Nigeria and bringing to book criminals who have abducted school kids for ransom and speedily prosecute those whose actions led to the death of students in Kaduna, Zamfara and Borno states.”
The Executive Director of TiFA CDI, Taiwo Akerele, made the suggestions during the inauguration of its Board of Trustees which was held in Abuja.
He recommended that the government at all levels budget not less than 10 per cent of their annual spending on investment in education and capacity building and graduates on annual basis for the next 10 years.
Akerele said, “We call on government at all levels to budget not less than 10% of annual spending on investment in education and capacity building and graduated on annual basis for the next 10 years until it gets to a reasonable threshold as recommended by UNICEF
According to him, the organization has decided to dedicate its core mission to basic education and its associated value chain because education remained the bedrock upon which a society is built.
He however said the policy action of stakeholders in the educational ecosystem does not seem to suggest a support for the popular assertion.
To underscore the argument of lack of government commitment toward advancing positive educational policies in Nigeria, he said the budgeting architecture does not support the clamour by stakeholders for a well-funded educational system.
Akerele argued that on average, the entire budget for education remains under five per cent cumulatively way below the UNESCO recommendation of at least 20 per cent.
He said, “While insecurity remains an issue, incentive for teachers remain debatable and there is growing apprehension amongst parents on the propriety of sending their kids to schools.
“It is on this note that the Transforming D Intellectual Firmament of Africa and its successor organization policy house has secured relevant approvals to inaugurate its trustees to pursue amongst others the following outlined objectives:
“To advocate for a responsible and sustainable budgeting system in Nigeria with special focus on basic education and with special emphasis in the educationally disadvantaged areas of the country.
“To roll out periodic incentives for parents of out-of-school children and boost their psychological and economic morale while keying into existing government programs to ensure effective results and impact.”
The TiFA-CDI ED demanded that government embark on a comprehensive and radical educational curriculum review across Nigeria and prioritize skills rather than old-fashioned theories and colonial educational system that does not support human economic growth, skills acquisition, and small-scale industry expansion.
He said, “We call on the government to accelerate the steps towards securing schools across the most vulnerable parts of Nigeria and bringing to book criminals who have abducted school kids for ransom and speedily prosecute those whose actions led to the death of students in Kaduna, Zamfara and Borno states.”
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