Assocaition for Childhood Education Practitioners (ACEP) has appealed to stakeholders to champion educational programmes that would reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country.

National President, ACEP, Hajia Islamiat Olaitan Oshodi made this call in Maryland, Lagos, saying that ACEP focuses on child development, child rights and eradication of all inhibiting factors militating against the growth and development of the Nigerian child.

Oshodi also advised parents to train their children and monitor their children’s friends, phones and lifestyles.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Foremost Education Services Limited, Prof. Michael Uduogie Ivowi, said recent statistics show that 262 million children and youths are out of school, while 750 million adults are illiterates.

He said it was a herculean task to reverse this trend, saying that these fuel poverty, marginalisation, anarchy and insecurity in the country.   

He reiterated, “Education is a human right, it is a force for sustainable development and it is a necessary requirement for peace. Today, we see what lack of education is causing in the Northern part of Nigeria.”

Speaking further, National Coordinator, CSCSD, Dr. Tolu Winjobi, said for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG4) to be successful, it requires political will, a collaboration of both global and regional governments, civil society, private sector, youth development partners and agencies. 

He added that all the groups would need to tackle educational challenges and build an educational system that is inclusive, equitable and relevant to all learners. 

In his message, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos in education worldwide.

He noted that some 1.6 billion school and college students had their studies interrupted at the peak of the pandemic, which is not yet over.  

He said, “Today, school closures continue to disrupt the lives of over 31 million students, exacerbating a global learning crisis. Unless we take action, the share of children leaving school in developing countries, who are unable to read, could increase from 53 to 70 percent. The turmoil in education goes beyond questions of access a family inequality.”
 
He said conventional education systems are struggling to deliver the knowledge, skills and values but we need to create a greener, better and safer future for all.