By
Gloria Abutu
The Adamawa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety of school environments across the state.
The State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Umar Garba Pella, disclosed this during an engagement meeting with stakeholders focused on advocacy, sensitization, and the formation of safeguard teams in 95 schools across the state.
The meeting, held in Yola, is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address the growing out-of-school children crisis in Adamawa State.
The out-of-school children crisis has been a significant issue in Adamawa State, with thousands of children, particularly in rural areas, remaining outside the formal education system.
Factors such as insecurity, poverty, and cultural practices have contributed to the high number of children who either never enrolled in school or dropped out at an early age.
In response to this crisis, the Adamawa State Better Education Service Delivery for All Additional Financing (BESDA-AF) supported by the Global Partnership for Education, Transforming Education System at State Level (GPE- TESS), launched the initiative to enhance safety in schools across the state.
This effort, which includes enrolling children in school and ensuring they stay in the classroom, will be futile if the school environments are not secure.
To address this, the Adamawa State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Umar Garba Pella emphasized that the government is focusing on building and maintaining safety structures within schools.
He highlighted that the government’s campaign to reduce the number of out-of-school children has always included a strong focus on creating a safe and conducive learning environment.
“No child, under any circumstance, will learn well in an environment that is perceived to be harmful,” Dr. Pella stated, reiterating the government’s understanding that sustainable school attendance is only possible if schools are seen as safe spaces.
The meeting served to reinforce the government’s commitment and to mobilize additional support from community leaders, traditional rulers, and School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs).
Dr. Pella urged these stakeholders to actively participate in ensuring that safety structures are not only implemented but also rigorously maintained in schools across the state.
“We are engaging stakeholders to ensure that the ownership of these schools is with the communities, and that they ensure the safety structures in every school are adhered to, so that each child feels psychologically and physically safe in the learning environment,” he remarked, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the initiative.
GPE Project Coordinator, Michael Chinda Medugu, highlighted that a safe and conducive learning environment is crucial to keeping children in school.
“We want safety in our schools. To achieve this mandate, we have to go out on advocacy and sensitization. We are taking into cognizance first and foremost the traditional rulers within the communities, for more awareness and advocacy for the safety of children from home to school, and from school back to home, and friendly learning environments,” Medugu noted.
Similarly, the Gender Officer, Transforming Education System at State Level (TESS), Mariamu Ayuba Ali, expressed hope that girls and children with disabilities will receive adequate care to promote inclusion in the learning environment.
According to her, “To ensure the safety of the children, we have put in place safeguard guidelines that must be followed. The enumerators are going out mainly to ensure the safety and protection of the children.”
The stakeholders at the meeting pledged to fulfill their responsibilities, ultimately aiming to improve school enrollment, educational outcomes, and the future prospects of children in Adamawa State.
As Adamawa State continues to confront the challenge of out-of-school children, the focus on school safety remains a critical element of the government’s strategy.
By ensuring that schools are secure and welcoming, the government aims to create an environment where children can not only return to school but also remain there, gaining the education they need to build a better future for themselves and their communities.
