THE Bayelsa Government in conjunction with UNICEF on Monday launched a school enrollment drive to reduce the rate of Out-of-School Children in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise was preceded by the inauguration of a 15-member Enrollment Drive Committee by Commissioner for Education, Mr Jonathan Obuebite.

Obuebite urged the Committee headed by Mr Walton Liverpool, Executive Secretary of the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), to drive the policy of increasing enrollment across schools in Bayelsa.

He noted that the state recorded a 100 per cent increase following massive investment in excess of N70 billion in the education sector from 2012 till date.

According to him, primary and secondary education is free and compulsory in the state.

Liverpool said that the campaign would cover the eight council areas of Bayelsa with the support of stakeholders to encourage the girl child to complete her education.

He said that Bayelsa accounted for 265,000 out of the 12.3 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, 60 per cent of who are girls.

He also noted that teenage pregnancy compelled the girl child to drop out of school, a development that made UNICEF and the state to lay much emphasis on the girl child in the campaign.

Dr Azuka Menkiti, representative of UNICEF, stated that the United Nations agency was supporting the drive to reduce the out-of-school rate in 15 states including Bayelsa.

According to her, UNICEF intervenes in education in three thematic areas of access, quality and governance through capacity building and funding support to benefitting states.

She urged the girls to resist the pressure to indulge in sexual activities, which led to unwanted teenage pregnancy that aborts the education of the girl child.

“As a mother, I will tell you as I also tell my daughters that all the things men tell you at this your age is all lies.

“There is time for everything and this is the right time for you to remain in school and complete your education.

“I urge all of us to encourage our girls to remain in school and complete their primary and secondary education as well as tertiary education because their future life is guaranteed by a good education.

“To parents, the best investment for our children remains a good education.

“We want to work with Bayelsa government to change the narrative that teenage pregnancy is the obstacle to education of girls in Bayelsa,” Menkiti said.

NAN reports that stakeholders, who witnessed the campaign launch included, leaders of Faith-Based Organisations in Bayelsa, students and pupils of selected primary and secondary schools, women and traditional leaders. (NAN)

– Jan. 21, 2019 @ 17:55 GMT |