The Bauchi State government is set to make education compulsory for all children of school age.

The senior special assistant to the governor on students' affairs, Prince Sani Hassan Mohammed, disclosed this yesterday at the first National Conference on Committee of Deans of Students Affairs of Colleges of Education (CODSACOE) held at the FCT College of Education, Zuba.

He said that a bill had been sent to the State House of Assembly to criminalise parents holding back their wards from school and that once the bill is passed into law, any child found in the street during school hours would be arrested.

Mohammed said the present administration in the state was passionate about child education and had been working to ensure that every child in the state gets education.

"There is a policy to that effect, the state house of assembly is working on a bill that would prohibit parents from hindering their children from going to school and before the year runs out, once the house pass it into law, we will start implementation immediately.

"The governor wants a situation whereby all Bauchi State indigenes that are of school age would go back to school, especially those begging or hawking in the street, we are going to compel parents to send their children to school. Education is the best legacy you can leave for your children," he said.