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Diri laments rising rate of out-of-school children in Bayelsa

By Julius Osahon, Yenagoa
11 January 2023   |   6:14 am
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has lamented estimated 250,000 out-of-school children in the state, saying the figure was alarming. He has, therefore, charged parents, traditional rulers and community leaders to join hands with government to ensure a reversal of the situation. Diri spoke, yesterday, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, during the launch of a national…

Bayelsa State governor Duoye Diri. Photo: VON

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has lamented estimated 250,000 out-of-school children in the state, saying the figure was alarming.

He has, therefore, charged parents, traditional rulers and community leaders to join hands with government to ensure a reversal of the situation.

Diri spoke, yesterday, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, during the launch of a national campaign on out-of-school children organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The governor said his administration would do its part to ensure education was accessible to every child of school age in the state and urged parents and community leaders to encourage their wards to enrol in schools.

He said the state government has continued to support free primary and secondary education in the state with the purchase of uniforms and other instructional materials.

He also called on the state House of Assembly to oversight its laws to ensure they are implemented.
Diri 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.

He 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.”

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.

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