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Nigeria: Civil Society Groups Task Govs on Education
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This Day (Lagos)
21 April 2008
Posted to the web 21 April 2008
Bukola Olatunji
Lagos
As the Global Action Week (GAW), a worldwide education campaign, begins today, the Nigerian civil society has appealed to the 19 governors in the northern states of the country to allocate adequate resources, at least 26 percent of their total budget to education.
In an open letter to the governors, no fewer than 400 civil society groups under the auspices of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), urged the governors to "give consideration to the passage of the Child Rights Acts within the existing religion and cultural context" in their states.
The coalition, which is present in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), also called on the governors to strengthen the UBE systems and improve the overall quality of basic education in their states; while relaxing the restrictions on inter state teacher movement, and providing attractive incentives for teacher training for women and rural-based teachers.
CSACEFA also appealed to the governors to aggressively fight corruption and end inefficiencies that present the allocated resources from reaching the poor, while calling for much stronger participation of civil society groups in the preparation and monitoring o state education plans and budgets.
It would also like to see that gender equality and women's rights are recognised as central issues for eradicating illiteracy among women and that affirmative action policies are in place to redress inequalities
The Global Action Week, which will run through the 27th, is being coordinated in the country by CSACEFA, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and a wide range of civic society organizations, including faith groups, trade unions, NGOs, youth organisations, women groups and social movements.
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The theme for this year's campaign is 'Providing Quality Education to End Exclusion'. Majority of the excluded are girls, women, children with special needs, working children, migrant and nomadic families, children of parents living below poverty lines, HIV/AIDS Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), pregnant teenagers and rural children. The group, according to SCACEFA, constitutes the majority of the more than 10 million Nigerians currently out of school.The governors, the letter said, would be making history if they respond decisively to end illiteracy and avoidable exclusion of the girl child from good quality education. "Your commitment to the uplifting of these Nigerians missing an education is a demonstration of Nigeria's commitment to the attainment of the Education for All goals and a patriotic commitment to secure a great future for our children."We trust that your Excellencies are men of honour and integrity, who would ensure that the welfare of the citizenry is paramount in the exercise of power entrusted to you by the humble and hardworking people of northern Nigeria", it concluded.
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