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‘Free inclusive public education critical to a just society’

By Gbenga Salau
23 June 2019   |   3:20 am
Free and quality inclusive public education is a fundamental human rights and the foundation for a just society. This was the position of participants...

A school in Lagos

Free and quality inclusive public education is a fundamental human rights and the foundation for a just society. This was the position of participants at a citizens’ forum, organised by Human Development Initiative (HDI) on ‘Breaking barriers to quality and inclusive education in Lagos State’.

The participants, drawn from members of Community Development Association, Parent Forum, Nigeria Union of Teachers, and School-based Management Community, stated that all children and young people despite different cultural, social and learning backgrounds, should have equivalent learning opportunities in all schools because free quality, inclusive public education is possible.

They, therefore, called on government to take actions to increase the size of national budgets, by raising fair tax, particularly corporate tax.

According to them, the government should also increase funds allocated to and spent on free, quality inclusive public education.

Programme officer, HDI, Mr Samuel Ajayi, who said the forum was held to enlighten residents about quality and inclusive education and their role in actualising it, revealed that an analysis of the structural barriers to education has shown that education systems fail to meet the needs of poor and marginalised children.

He said: “Consequently, these children are restricted from exercising their right to free, quality and inclusive public education. Poor school infrastructure, failure to recruit and retain good quality teachers and lack of sufficient sustainable financing for education are some of the barriers to free quality inclusive public education.”

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