LAGOS – Some education stakeholders on Wednesday identified poverty, exclusion and parents’ ignorance as some of the factors militating against the right of a child to education in the country.
The stakeholders made the observation in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Chief Yomi Otubela, Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private School (NAPPS), Lagos State, told NAN that exclusion and poverty were the greatest obstacles against education of a child in Africa.
“Governments can put a law in place which will mandate a sizeable number of places in public schools to be reserved for disadvantaged groups,” he said.
The official called for sensitisation programmes by various human rights groups on the rights of the child to education.
Otubela, also the Principal Consultant, Lagooz Schools, advised that governments should effectively enforce child rights laws.
He said that governments should uphold the right of the child to education through the provision of qualitative education at affordable cost.
“The judicial system must also be equipped to enforce this right under the law,’’ he said.
Mrs Roslyn Nojimu-Yusuf, Head of Department of Primary Education, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos, called for conducive learning environment to promote a child’s right to education.
Nojimu- Yusuf said that the classrooms should be less congested for proper assimilation to take place, dding that there should be less distraction. [eap_ad_2] According to her, overpopulation and lack of desks and chairs constituted an impediment to effective and qualitative teaching and learning.
She identified poverty and ignorance on the part of the parents as a challenge to the right of a child to education.
“How can a parent who does not know the value of education encourage his child to go to school?
“I went to vulcanise my tyre one day and a boy between ages six and seven, who should be in school, came out to do it.
“I was shocked initially, but he assured me he could do it; I encouraged him to go back to school.
“I was passing by another day and still saw him there; going back to school is not his decision to make but his parents’,” she said.
The lecturer said that shortage of teachers in schools all over Nigeria should also be addressed.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State Wing, Mr Segun Raheem, called for the provision of adequate infrastructure in schools.
“Local Governments should be made to play a participatory role in the area of provision of infrastructure.
“The school environment should be habitable, conducive and attractive,’’ he said. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]