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From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a manual on Education in Emergency (EiE) for three North East states affected by over a decade of insurgency.
UNICEF Education Specialist Dr Judith Giwa-Amu, while presenting the manual to the Commissioners of Education of Borno, Adamaw and Yobe (BAY) states Wednesday in Maiduguri, Borno Sfate capital, explained the document was a collaboration between the fund and the three states to ensure access of school-age Children to “quality and equitable education” after years of violence.
‘This will ensure the right of every child to education continuity in a protective environment with support from relevant sectors,’ she disclosed.
She said emergencies occur as a result of violence, conflict and natural or man-made disasters. She said that strengthening the education system especially in region or area affected by emergencies, protects children and youths from attacks, abuse and exploitation.
She further explain the manual was designed to ensure the rights of every child to education in an emergency are protected and actualised as contained in the UN Convention on the rights of the child.
‘The EiE manual will adequately cope with and respond to changes that result from the challenges of emergencies,’ she added.
The manual titled is title Building Resilience in the Education Sector: A training manual for Education in Functionaries and the Supporting Sector.
Borno State Commissioner of Education Lawan Wakilbe lauded the UNICEF initiatIive. He said the manual could as well serve as an education-in-emergency manual.
More than 10 million children in Nigeria have been forced out of schools as a results of increasing attacks on schools, mass kidnapping and other security challenges according to the Federal Government late 2021. Most of these population are in the northeast where insurgency has dragged on for 12 years with attacks still continue
UNICEF is working with the government and other partners, including the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, to ensure learning continues despite these attacks.
