In the November 19 edition of The Guardian newspaper, the news hit the airwaves like a hurricane that most of the governors of states of the federation have refused to access N135 billion meant to improve infrastructure and service delivery in the nation’s numerous public schools while there are more than 18 million out-of-school children.
Can anyone imagine such a shocking revelation in a land where almost everything in the public schools is begging for attention?
How can the governors be so callous and insensitive just because they don’t have their children in public schools? Most of the schools still display the same set of buildings they have had since inception many decades ago and even their very ugly sites alone are enough discouragement for enrollment.
Besides, most of the schools are without adequate teachers and even the few around are not properly mobilized and monitored to focus on their jobs as most times, learners are without adequate attention and only go to school to while away their time.
To make matters worse, most of the government’s monthly subventions to schools are never well utilised for the purpose for which they are meant and the government’s promise of free education to the citizens is always a hoax. Maybe one should not even blame school heads for their unwholesome practices since it’s the same corrupt system that is operational everywhere in the country from the top to bottom.
But the import then is that undue burdens are put on poor parents who are regularly being forced to cough out various forms of money for different purposes before their kids are allowed into the schools while the government promised to provide free education.
Due to this recurring problem, most parents who are unable to cope with the perennial problems of incessant demands by school heads often withdraw their children and wards from schools and engage them in child labour. This is why there is continued rise in the number of out-of-school children.
If the Federal Government is ready to find adequate solution to the menace of pupils and students dropping out of schools in large number, it must prevail on both the erring governors who refused to access funds meant to improve the facilities in order to make school environment truly attractive to learners as well as conducive for learning.
The activities of school heads and their ever-demanding associations who most times act as saboteurs of government’s policies should also be closely monitored because unless the school atmosphere becomes truly inviting and friendly, millions of children and their parents will never see any need to embrace education.
Portals may be created where parents and other stake holders can lodge complaints about whoever is sabotaging government’s efforts at reducing drastically the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International Nigeria.
