By Justina Auta
The Centre for Policy Innovation (PIC), on Tuesday claimed that there was a 92 per cent learning deprivation rate for children across Nigeria.
Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, its Deputy Director, stated this during an interactive on Eradicating Learning Deprivation at the 28th session of the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that PIC, an inititative of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), got its statistics from its recent research on learning deprivation in the six geopolitical zones of country.
He stressed the need for children to have foundational literacy so as to grow up and succeed in life.
She listed factors contributing to the high rate of learning deprivation to include poverty, which had resulted in parents engaging their children in income generating activities to support the home.
“Sometimes, issues like the lack of infrastructure in the school, poor teacher competency and basic amenities such as toilets could also be responsible.
“Other drivers include poor nutrition, issues relating to communicable diseases and the negative belief system as some parents do not see the value of education.
“Probably because they were not educated themselves due to cultural or social norms within their context, some parents hardly see any need for school,” she fumed.
Dr Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), in a remark, stressed the need to address insecurity to ensure that schools were up and running so that children could be educated.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has said that before he leaves office, he will fulfil his promise to tackle insecurity.
“We pray that this promise is secured so that we can have our children back to the classroom fully,” he said.
On her part, Ms Cristian Munduate, Country Representative, UNICEF, said that education should be a service to guarantee the rights of the child.
She stressed the need for the government at all levels to prioritise children’s education to ensure meaningful development in all sectors.
