Felix Ndiomu, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has directed the state Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies of government to ensure the application of stringent laws passed by the House of Assembly in 2018 to stem the worrisome rise in the cases of out-of-school children.
The law: Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education Law 2018’ was enacted by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in 2018 and signed into law by former governor, Seriake Dickson, on February 21, 2018.
Diri, who handed down the directive yesterday during the commencement of a national campaign on out-of-school children organised by the Federal Ministry of Education, expressed concern over the data of an estimated 250,000 out-of-school children in the state despite the existence of a Law passed by the state Assembly to curb the trend.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Education for bringing the campaign to Bayelsa, saying the people of the state and the Niger Delta region will benefit from the initiative.
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The governor said, “A law was passed by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on this matter in 2018. So, Mr. Minister, Bayelsa State had started addressing the issues long before now. But your coming is key as it has opened our eyes to the level of out-of-school children in our state.
“The issue is mostly about implementation. We have the laws to ensure that our children are educated. This law has to be implemented across all our communities. The Ministries of Information and Education must do all within their powers to ensure that the public is aware of this law and it is implemented.
“It is unbelievable that a law like this was enacted and assented to by a sitting Governor. Yet we have out-of-school children.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on parents to ensure that they take advantage of the provisions of the government. There is free primary education. Uniforms and other instructional materials are being provided by the government. So, why won’t parents send their children to school?
“As a state, we will continue to prioritize education and have a paradigm shift that will be beyond certificates. We have introduced technical education and by our third anniversary we will commission some of the schools.”
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah-Opiah, said education was a collective responsibility and called on all stakeholders to join forces to eradicate the menace of out-of-school children in the interest of the country.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education has put in place mechanisms to ensure that education was accessible to children of school age and appealed to the state government to continue to prioritize education.
