Uchechukwu Nnaike and Funmi Ogundare
16 June 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
However, the report said EFA policies and/or reforms have not been as effective as anticipated, as the sector is faced with major challenges of poorly paid teachers, dearth of trained teachers, poor and inadequate infrastructure, which made teachers less motivated. This it said contributed to poor or irregular school attendance among children in the country.
These challenges notwithstanding, it said there is a steady rise in primary school enrolment in the country. In terms of gender, there is more male enrolment in primary school than their female counterpart and that teacher-pupil ratio in the country is also improving.
A new Teachers Salary Structure (TSS) was approved by the federal government to encourage teachers and raise their commitment to the goals of EFA. In addition, a National Teachers Institute (NTI) is in place for the training and re-training of teachers to provide quality education in line with the goals of EFA.
According to the report, despite the progress so far recorded on the EFA programme in the country, vulnerable children such as those on the streets, including the 'almajirai', nomadic Fulani children, orphans and the girl-child particularly in rural areas of northern Nigeria, are yet to fully benefit from the UBE and EFA efforts.
Retired Deputy Director of the Ministry of Defense, Mrs. Marie Pauline Uzor said since the day has been recognised throughout the world for the interest of the child, there is need to educate the children and enlighten the parents more on how best to treat them.
She regretted that "the African child is exposed to both the negative and positives. What makes him different from other children is that Africa used to be a dark continent but now it's moving to a continent struggling to become like the developed country. The African child is battling with survival, he might be exposed to good things but they are not readily available because of under-development and the fact that he must survive. The African child is making effort to meet up with what happens in other developed countries, but things are not yet okay. There's poverty, lack of basic amenities and so the child is most times abused and used to help in the home for survival, so it is unfortunate, this same child could have done extremely well, if it were other developed countries."
Uzor said although the government was making effort in ensuring that child trafficking and people using them as house helps, became a thing of the past, but more still needed to be done in the areas of funding, ensuring adequate facilities to educate the children, as well as organising more enlightenment programmes.
A teacher, Mrs. Catherine Iwuh said the government has done well in orientating the populace about the evils inherent in child trafficking and using them as slaves, but have not fared well in the areas of implementation. "The laws are not enforced because you still see children hawking, used for house helps and trafficked."
A Clergyman, Rev. Father John Okoro said since some states government like Ebonyi are taking the bull by the horn to ensure that such violation of human rights, does not occur, others should try and emulate them. "Ebonyi State for example state, have declared that every child has to go to school and nobody can go there to pick a child as house help, but in some states you still see children being bread winners of the family while the parents sit at home. Other states should try and emulate Ebonyi state in taking the bull by the horn to eradicate such vices. Parents also owes the children a great responsibility in bringing them up properly," he said
A business woman, Mrs. Agnes Edo-Osagie said there is need for government to liberalise education, give allowances for health and education so as to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. "The parents are handicapped and the government is not forthcoming, even the parents are the ones sending their children to hawk. It is as a result of poverty. Some children might not like to see their parents suffering and so they would want to urgent the family income by hawking, or even begging. The government can also encourage adoption so that those who can would give the children a better life.
There is need to re-strategise to accommodate these groups of vulnerable children. Then the country may be moving towards making the country a place fit for children
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