Bianca Iboma
In a bid to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country, the Ramah Foundation donated educational materials to pupils of Ansarudeen Elementary School, Akinfenwa, in Iwo East Local Government Area of Osun State.
The items included schools bags, uniforms, sandals, sucks, school bag, text and exercise books.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Risikat Adisa, acknowledged the key role education plays in the development of any society and revealed that the sector is in a bad state due to economic hardship.
He maintained that a lot of parents, especially in the rural communities, cannot provide the necessary educational materials for their wards, resulting in the increase of the number of out of school children in Nigeria.
Adisa stressed the need to improve the quality of education in the country, adding “We should equally provide education for all, not just for those who can afford it.
“The problem in the sector is no longer a secret, because it requires urgent attention especially with the challenge of out of school children.”
She said with an estimated 13.2 million children out-of-school, high illiteracy level, infrastructural deficit and decay, unqualified teachers and inadequate instructional materials, among others, the effect of decades of neglect of the sector is evident.
She continued, “I am using this opportunity to meet the need of those in the rural community to turnaround their education for the better.”
Adisa urged governments at all levels to improve on their strategy in order to address the challenges of basic and secondary education, qualified teachers and professional development, technical and vocational education.
In the same vein, the Education Secretary of Iwo East Local Government (LGA), Mr. Abiodun Rahman, observed that teachers have a role to play in the development of the youths, stressing “The right to education means the right to qualified teachers, our youths should be pillars of strength and economic drivers.
“Teachers need to be positive in order to influence their students.”
He said frantic efforts were needed to improve teachers education by creating developmental programmes that would enhance their skill, noting the quality of education is determined by teachers, so they should be equipped and ensure that every teacher is academic and professionally qualified.
Chairman of Iwo Local Government Area, Mr. Akinrinoye, commended the group for the initiative, adding that it would inspired the pupils’ to learn.
In the words of Akinrinoye, “Most of this children do not have notebooks or text books they come to school in tattered uniform and also bare feet. The condition they face trying to get education is pathetic.”
Akinrinoye advised that something be done to tackle the situation, of kids learning under harsh condition and warned that if the children are not educated they may grow and become miscreants and then trouble the society, that neglected them.
He urged the Foundation to promote education apart from the donations by using its platform to organised literary competition for the pupils in the rural area who do not benefits from such educational platform.
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“This would inspired the need to engaged tomorrow’s leaders on critical literacy skills at an early stage.
“The group should have an overall strategy that can sustain educational development.”
The Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Aderonke Adelowo, commended the group for choosing to donates educational material to the school pupils.
Adelowo said until the government accords priority to education by investing huge fund, the nation would continue to experience crisis, stating that schools in rural areas are affected to a large extent that is why seeing something like this happening in our school give us great joy.
She said the smiles on the faces of the pupils show they were happy that the group brought such items for their use.