By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday passed a resolution to hold a national summit that would effectively tackle the menace of the out-of-school children in the country
The Red Chamber decided after considering a report by its committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) on the need to tackle the challenges of out-of-school children in the country, presented by its chairman, Usman Adamu.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the decision after most senators supported it through voice votes during the plenary.
He said the summit would involve the presidency, senators, state governors, local government chairpersons, councillors and civil society organisations.
Adamu, who represents Kaduna Central, said the report followed a resolution of the Senate on 20 March to find a lasting solution to the increasing rate of out-of-school children.
He said his committee members interacted with ministers of education on 18 July over the issue.
The senator noted that, during the interaction, the lawmakers observed that the federal government needs to domesticate a proper strategy to address the menace of out-of-school children in the country.
Adamu stated that the committee also discovered that the education ministry had not taken tangible action to reduce the increasing number of out-of-school children.
He also said there is no reliable data on out-of-school children in the country.
He said, “No tangible action has been taken by the Ministry considering the out-of-school children since 2024. There is no reliable data to date on the out-of-school children. This deserves urgent attention.”
Deputy President of the Senate Senator Jibrin Barau said, “I feel compelled to comment on this report because the issue is very important. It is a severe problem that will explode and consume us if we leave it unattended, particularly in the northern part of this country.
“Because the number of children roaming our streets without going to school needs our attention; it is a severe problem. It is a problem that the solution is beyond the federal government alone or any tier of government. It should have an all-inclusive attention. Local, state, and federal governments, traditional and religious leaders, and even parents all have a role to play.
“I feel happy that the committee concluded that addressing out-of-school children in Nigeria demands concerted efforts across all: National, state, local governments, parents, traditional rulers, development partners, and so on. Since the Federal government can’t do it alone, state governments can’t. So, everybody has to come together; we all must go together.
“When you go to the lowest level, the parents, there must be a reorientation of those who feel that schools or education are unimportant. Let them understand the value of education. The Federal government should also make sure that there is reorientation for parents to know that they have to train their children properly, as prescribed by two prominent religions in the country – Islam and Christianity.
“Religions give that responsibility to the parents to ensure they care for their children. So, allowing kids to roam on the streets in the first place is not something that Islam accepts without giving them the proper care.
“It is also something that is not acceptable to Christianity. That has to be said loud and clear. The reorientation has to commence immediately so that parents should know that they need to do that. Then, it is important for all stakeholders, as said by several colleagues, to sit down and find a lasting solution to this problem.”
The immediate-past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, urged the Senate to require the Ministry of National Planning to produce reliable data.
Lawan, who represents Yobe North Senatorial District, advised the Senate to organise a national educational council meeting to address the challenges of the nation’s education system.
Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West) lamented the government’s ineffectiveness in promoting Western education.
He said, “The crisis facing the education system is at the core of insecurity, leadership failure, and many issues affecting the country.
“All of us who went to school 20 to 50 years ago know the kind of education available, available for the rich and poor. In my view, we should use this opportunity to undertake a comprehensive overview of the crisis facing our educational system.”
Dickson thereafter suggested a national summit on out-of-school.
He said, “My suggestion is that you should lead. You (Akpabio) should have a conversation with the President. He is already addressing it with the student loan.
“However, let us have a summit where the governors who are the heads of sub-region and commissioners will also be there so that we can formulate a coherent national strategy,” he added.
Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West) said successive governments had done several programmes to improve the nation’s education system but blamed state governments for not complementing the efforts.
After the debate, the Senate President suggested holding a national summit on the menace of out-of-school voting, which the majority of senators supported.
Akpabio subsequently approved it and commended his colleagues for the extensive debate.
The Senate President hoped the summit would successfully address challenges facing the nation’s educational system.
