Callistus Agwaza, Jalingo
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The Taraba Youths Advocates, on Monday disclosed that over Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand children of school age are out of school in the state.
The leader of the team, Kerkebe Ibrahim, who disclosed this at a Press conference in Jalingo to mark the official take off of their sensitization and advocacy campaign aimed at addressing the plight of children in the state.
Ibrahim regretted that despite free and compulsory primary education system in the country, Nigeria accounts for one in every five out of school children globally, and has a staggering 8.7 million children of primary school age, most of them girls, out of school.
“We are concerned that, despite free and compulsory primary education system in the country, Nigeria accounts for one in every five out of school children globally.
According to the UNICEF and World Bank statistics, 8.7million children of school age are out of school in the country and there are over 233,000 children of school age out if school in Taraba alone. Most of them are girls. This is totally unacceptable.
“Given our mandate as youths advocates, concerned with the education plight of the Taraba children, we are poised to create awareness using all available platforms and opportunities at our disposal. We hope to hold our political office holders to their promises of better education for our children. We hope for equitable and increased access to safe and quality education for children in Taraba state especially the girl child”.
She commended the UNICEF and the State Universal Basic Education Board for training the youths advocates to carry out their campaigns effectively.
Recall that the United Nations Children Fund UNICEF in collaboration with the SUBEB trained about a hundred youths volunteers under the auspices of Taraba Youths Advocates, who now champions campaign to curb the alarming rate of our of school children who often litter the streets and public places hawking wares, both during school hours and at night.