By
Aisha Mohammed
Stakeholders in the education sector have identified protracted conflict, violence, attacks on schools and climate-related hazards as major factors affecting school enrollment and the performance of children globally.
They made this known during a state-level sensitization meeting on safe school implementation, organized by UNICEF in collaboration with Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board, ADSUBEB, in Yola-Adamawa State.
In a bid to protect children from threats, the Nigerian government developed minimum standards for safe schools, addressing capacity, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness.
Outlining strategic approaches to addressing threats to school children, which include a strong school system, protection against violence and preparedness for natural hazards, UNICEF Education Consultant in Adamawa State, Joel Jutum, said that these factors affect over four hundred thousand school children in Adamawa State.
Jutum therefore urged stakeholders in the education sector at all levels to make deliberate commitments to ensuring the protection of school children in the country.
On his part, Executive Chairman Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board ADSUBEB, Murtala Umar, emphasized that with global concerns about protecting school children, the Adamawa State government remains committed to ensuring a safe and secured learning environment across all schools in the state, urging stakeholders to make positive contributions.
Also present at the sensitization meeting were representatives from the twenty-one local government areas of Adamawa State, and other education stakeholders from various LGAs.
High points of the meeting included planning for LGA sensitization in the twenty-one local government areas of the state, presentation of the LGA sensitization plan, action plans with expected dates for results, posting of monitors and distribution of sensitization instruments.
