Kogi Re-affirms Commitment to Reducing Out of School Children
Kogi State Commissioner for Education Hon. Wemi Jones said the policies and Programs of the State Government in Education have reduced the problem of Out of School Children.
The Commissioner stated this in Lokoja when he received the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Inspired Education Network Mr. Alf Eneojo and his team on courtesy visit.
He said that the enactment of Kogi State Education Law 2020, the State Government Free Education Policy and other programs were Designed to reduce out of school children and create access to quality and affordable Education.
In his words, ” the first thing we did to reduce out of school children was to enact Kogi State Education Law, 2020 which criminalizes children of school growing age not to be found hawking during official school hour”
“The Free Education Law of the State Government which made it Mandatory for Government to pay for both External and Internal Examination fees if there is fund for students in public Primary and Secondary schools was targeted at making Education accessible and affordable to pupils in the State.”
The Commissioner equally noted that the State Government has adequately funded Education to a reasonable level that would cater for the need of the Children, saying that the 30% allocation of the State budget for Education has made the State to cater for primary and secondary schools and was able to Established two Universities with in four years.
Having done all these, it would become practically impossible for a child not to be in school, promising that in no distant time, the State would be competing with states from the southern part of Nigeria in Education.
He promised to partner with the organization to move Education forward.
Speaking, the CEO of Inspired Education Network, Mr. Alfa Eneojo said they were in the State to seek Collaboration with the State on ways to reduce out of school children in Kogi State.
The Organization he noted is leading a campaigns in Nigeria to reduce the Out of School Children which he said has become a global problem.
The State Government he said has done a lot in Education and the Organization would want to partner with the state to do more as government can do it alone.
Mr. Alfa Eneojo noted the organization is a non governmental organization focused on reducing the number of out of school children in Nigeria, adding that over One Thousand Students have been successful enrolled into primary and secondary schools in Kogi, FCT and Nasarawa States
.
He commended the Federal Government for out of school initiative program and urged States and Local Governments to buy into the program.
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