‘41% Of Ebonyi Children Can’t Access Basic Education’

L-R: Representatives of the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (Nema), Mr Major Eze, Enugu State Government, Chief Joe Offor and General Officer Commanding, 82 Divisional Nigerian Army, Maj. Etim Ukpanyang, during an awareness seminar on waste management and flood disaster in Enugu yesterday

The United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has in Abaklaiki said 41 per cent of children in Ebonyi State cannot access basic education.
The organisation’s Education Specialist, Dr Agatha Nzeribe, made the disclosure during a ‘State level preparatory meeting of critical stakeholders for school enrolment campaign in Ebonyi’.
According to her, between 16 and 24 per cent of the percentage are girls, hence the need for concerted efforts by relevant stakeholders to reverse the regrettable trend.
“This development necessitated the convening of the meeting by UNICEF, as it also seeks increased collaboration with the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) to solve the problem.
“This meeting is a gathering of basic education researchers, directors and stakeholders, especially at the local government area level, who will make adequate recommendations to solve the problem.
“The recommendations provided at the end of the meeting will indicate the extent of resource sourcing for Ebonyi from UNICEF and other donor agencies.
“At the end of the meeting, UNICEF will leave Ebonyi with two documents: Ebonyi guideline for school enrolment and a framework for implementation of activities,’’ she said.
Nzeribe said that Ebonyi was selected by the organisation’s national and zonal offices as one of the pilot states for the basic education enrolment drive, to ensure that children in the state enrol into schools.
“The visit of the state governor’s wife to the UN Office in Abuja has attracted lots of interventions for Ebonyi; she has also gave maximum support for the school enrolment campaign,’’ Nzeribe said.
State UBEB Chairman, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, who was represented by Mr Nwanne Onu, a board member, commended UNICEF for the intervention, describing it as timely and pivotal.
“It is both timely and pivotal and it will complement the state government’s efforts to articulate a more formidable blueprint for the attainment of its educational goals, especially basic education,’’ he said.
Ikpor noted that the state government had instituted a 91-man committee to evaluate primary and secondary school education in the state and evolve ways to ensure that they meet acceptable standards.
“Statistics show that Ebonyi has 1,295 schools of which 1,064 are primary, while 231 are secondary schools.
“The primary schools have 344,732 pupils, of which 174,371 are males, while 170,361 are females.
“The secondary schools have 101,250 students of which 48,110 are males, while 53,140 are females; this survey shows that Ebonyi has more males in primary schools and more females in secondary schools,” he said.
He noted that the board presently has required data to push the enrolment programme further, to achieve all set objectives.
“The Multiplier Cluster Indicator Survey (MCIS 2011) rated Ebonyi, all time low in the South East geo political zone, in net attendance Ratio of school-age children, early childhood centres‘ enrolment, primary school entry and literacy among women.