By Gabriel Dike, Bianca Iboma-Emefu, Isioma Chidozie, Blessing Ani, Kleod Olekanma and Chisom Emmanuel
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recently released global statistics of out-of-school children. Nigeria accounted for an alarming figure of 20 million out of the 244 million kids and youths.
While Nigerians were shocked, the Federal Government debunked the statistics but failed to provide its own figures. Stakeholders are asking pertinent questions about the high figures.
Before now, the statistics hovered between 11 million and 14 million. So, what happened with the sudden rise to 20 million out-of-school children?
Some stakeholders have questioned the UNESCO figures and doubted their accuracy. Head, Department of Educational Foundation and Counselling Psychology, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Oluwatobi Pemede, said: “To curb the increasing number of out- of-school kids in the country, the government needs to increase the budget allocation for education. It is a fundamental human right and every child deserves it.”
He acknowledged the existence of gaps in education funding that government needs to resolve: “It is lack of funds that stalled quality and access to education by young people leaving schools without the skills they needed.
“The 20.2 million children out of school in Nigeria is not only preposterous but alarmingly petrifying. This is more so when it is realised that children under 15 years of age constitute about 45 per cent of the country’s population and the out-of-school kids are not being engaged in any valuable venture. They are street kids, allowed to waste away their lives and make a mess of the potentialities of the nation.
“The out-of-school children are potential bomb throwers, armed robbers, kidnappers, bandits, terrorists, pipeline vandals, drug traffickers and human traffickers. It means the kids will be a pain in the neck of their compatriots and a bulwark to their country’s development.”
President, Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Mr. Emmanuel Orji, said: “Granted that there’s a surge in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria due to the heightened level of insecurity, especially the waves in the North East, Middle Belt and in some other locations in the country, I still strongly believe that this report may just be speculative. I may be completely wrong while the report is right, it’s just my opinion.
“During AFED’s advocacy conference in March 2022 on the worrisome cases of out-of-school children in the North, the keynote speaker, Prof James Tooley, the vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham, England, shared with government officials his decision to interrogate this figure that is being quoted. We were matching words with actions as he told me fund has been secured to help us achieve this.
“The association is working with many education stakeholders, national and international, ranging from individuals to organisations and even government to ensure a reduction in the number of out-of-school children.
“This figure quoted by the UN has just made me feel bad. However, I will also draw solace from the fact that it’s possible UNESCO does not know about the effort of the low-cost education revolutionary force, as the body has never reflected it in its report. But it should be known that I don’t agree with this number.
“My association’s efforts, in conjunction with other private schools, are working. There is a report by DFID in 2018, which showed that our local quality home-grown solution low-cost education model is making a huge difference in the quest for the education of Nigeria’s school age children. Thus it has been considered by many as a key contribution towards the 2030 UN SDGs 4 education goal.
“I want to appeal to UNESCO to always carry us along in trying to figure out this data. Failure to do just that will continue to put a question mark on their data. How can you say you are shaving my hair without me being with you? No be juju be that? Please, don’t also misunderstand me, as I don’t dispute the surge, but the 20 million is not possible.’’
A sociologist of education at LASU, Prof. Olumuyiwa Noah, said: “If government had subscribed to free education, we won’t be having such outrageous numbers. Although the number is higher in the northern part compared to the South. The North prefers to take its children to be trained by a Mallam than allow them to have access to western education.
“These are parts of the kids seen and counted as out-of-school children because they do not fit into what is viewed as Sustainable Development Goals. A lot of children are left to cater for themselves. Several homes where the parents are divorced find it difficult to send their kids to school. Some are abandoned.
“Government is to be blamed for the situation. We have not understood basically what education stands for as a society, which is why it is lopsided. They don’t know the difference between western education and we should not take our children to school based on faith.
“If we go by the SDGs, some of the government policies are liable for the incidence of out-of-school children. These street kids try to support their families by hawking and doing other street hustling.
“Government needs to be more responsible. Government should implement policies on basic education and ensure the application and fulfillment of budgeted funds for that purpose.”
Principal, Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos, Deacon G.E. Aboduring, blamed the high rate out-of-school children on the outbreak of COVID-19 and the inability of parents to afford school fees for their children. He also linked the increase to domestic violence: “Many people were affected by activities of different groups of people causing violence. When we have violence everywhere, children are mostly affected. When the economy of the family is also affected then it will tell on the kid’s education.
“To get these children back to school, all of us must be ready to do the needful, both government and the citizens. Government must play its role well and they must be able to create jobs to assist the parents of these children. The citizens should also contribute meaningfully to the development of the nation.”
A teacher in the same school, Mrs. Olufunke Anjorin, said: “The consequences of out-of-school children are on parents, government and the society. Some of these implications include crime rate, unemployment, lack of skills and certificates, poor condition of service, low self-esteem and poor physical well-being.
“To get these children back to school, I recommend that school counsellors, parents, communities and government should take proactive measures to encourage school dropouts to return to school.”
Mr. Chidozie Okafor, a parent, said: “I am aware of the out-of-school figure. The consequences are far-reaching. It creates a fertile ground for crime, backwardness, economical implications and increase in the illiterate workforce that is neither skilled nor educated.
“To tackle the situation, government has to invest in education, especially primary and secondary schools. It should be made compulsory for children to attend school. With this, the number of out-of- school children will be reduced.
“State government must accord education top priority, fund the sector and make it compulsory. Southerners cherish education and pay to send their kids to school. There are others who see education as a taboo and refuse to send their children to school. The job of government is to re-orientate them, make them see the importance of education and give them incentives to stay in school.”
A Lagos businesswoman, Sophie Uzoamaka, said: “Education helps in the building of a nation. Who is going to build our nation if 20 million children are out of school? These out-of-school children can be easily recruited into terrorist organisations, cult groups or gangs with the promise of a better life, wealth and power.
“The implications aren’t very bright in a long run. If something isn’t done about it we might be looking at a nationwide crisis.’’
A pharmacist, Okorie Emmanuel, said: “Government must provide a means of checking these children and ensuring the smooth running of operations within schools. By doing so, these children can be taken off the streets and into the classrooms.
“Parents also play a crucial role by ensuring that they monitor the movement of their children and their academic progress.”
Mrs. Juliana Omotola, Student Affairs Officer, Anchor University, Lagos (AUL), said: “The implications are not far-fetched. We see them around us every day. It will lead to increase in crime rate. It will have an implication on the economy and the security of the country.
“The northern states have the highest number of out- school- children. I believe that is the reason they are easily convinced to commit crime with little amount of money.
“Government should take education more seriously, from the basic to the tertiary level and make it a priority. It should increase the education budget.”
Dean, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, AUL, Prof Olusola Oyero, said: “It is a disaster waiting to happen. If those children are five years old today, in 15 years’ time they will be 20 years old. Now imagine in Nigeria we have 10 million young adults who are untrained, uneducated, uncivilized and unskilled.
“These are ready-made instruments in the hands of terrorists and insurgents. This means that the future is quite bleak for us in Nigeria. Unfortunately, government is not living up to expectations.
“Many of them are not going to school because of poverty. That’s where the government is supposed to come in and provide education for them. Also because of cultural background, some don’t go to school, so the government needs to do something.
“It is a problem everybody should be concerned about. Government should deploy resources to education and accord the sector top priority. That is the only thing that can change the fortunes of the nation.”
Studio Technologist with AUL, Mr. Ayodeji Olaniyi, said: “The children are the leaders of tomorrow. If they are incapacitated and do not have the right skills to be leaders then let’s look at what will happen to the county in the future.
“Education is paramount for the survival of any nation. Why are these children not in school?Government should improve on school feeding. Nigeria is experiencing inflation, this will serve as an incentive for children to go to school. Free education is still very much possible and should be implemented.’’
Associate Professor at Redeemers University, Ede, Dr. Emmanuel Ifeduba, said: “The estimate appears doubtful. But assuming it’s true, UNESCO should release a state-by-state breakdown so as to know where the concentration lies and the causes will be identified.
“When a government turns a blind eye to a major problem in the country, which is insecurity, such a country tends to have results like this one. How do you expect those at the IDP camps in northern states to go to school when they are not stable?
“Many have lost their homes due to the Fulani herdsmen raids. Parents who are victims will not have the economic and psychological capabilities to send their wards to school.
“If government wants to help curb this problem, it should ensure a free, fair and credible election. The current administration has shown its incapability to run the nation.
“They should ensure democracy is in full force by making sure that the next election is free and fair. This will bring in a new administration that will be able to attend to these problems.’’
UNESCO said 244 million children and youth between the ages of six and 18 worldwide are out of school. India, Nigeria and Pakistan have the highest figures in that order.