From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The Bauchi State House of Assembly has expressed its commitment to pass a bill to develop a framework of action to reduce the number of out of school children in the state.
This was disclosed by Dr Nasiru Ahmed Ala, the Chairman House Committee on Education, at a two-day Regional Stakeholders Engagement Meeting on the Out-of-School Children and the Retention, Transition and Completion Models in Bauchi, Gombe and Adamawa states at Emerald Hotel Hall, Gombe, Gombe State.
Ala, who represents Madara/Chinede constituency in the State Assembly, expressed concern about the alarming situation of school children in the state, with Bauchi reportedly to having an estimated at 1.2 million out if school children.
The lawmaker, who said something urgent must be done about OOSC, assured that he and his colleagues from Adamawa and Gombe States House of Assembly had unanimously decided to initiate moves to domesticate the National Framework of Action in their respective states to address the problem.
“We have three fundamental functions in the state assembly. Number one, lawmaking, number two, oversight and number three representative capacity, “he said.
“We are going to enact a particular bill to be passed into law, maximum four weeks to develop the state framework on out of school children and our governor is giving all support on the issue of school children.
“It is a menace and hydra-headed issue and as an academic I am not happy when I hear the word out of school children.
“That is why I came here to share with you one or two experiences. It is not a big deal in the state assembly and I will go there and spread the message.
“I will urge my colleagues that the Chairmen House committee on education in Gombe and Adamwa States unanimously agreed that in three weeks’ time we are going to pass it into bill and we are committed , maximum four weeks, to do it”
In his remark at the workshop, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Tushar Rane, said UNICEF was deeply concerned with the rate of out-of-school children, and low learning achievement in the country, especially in the north-east and north-west regions.
“In collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission, we have developed the National Framework of Action to Reduce the Number of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria” and the “Retention, Transition, and Completion Model” which ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all,” he disclosed.
Rane said the two-day would reveal models to guide your respective states in confronting the OOSC phenomenon, strengthening the community accountability and mobilization, use of innovations and technologies to increase access to quality learning and financing of OOSC in the state.
According to a press release from the Bauchi Field Office, the north east meeting by UNICEF would engage stakeholders in the north east to expedite efforts on reducing the number of Out of out-of-school children and increase retention, transition, and completion of adolescents in secondary schools.
“Specifically, the meeting will build a collective commitment on creating and implementing models for the reduction of the number of out-of-school children and increasing retention, transition and completion of adolescent boys and girls in secondary education,’ it stated.