Nasarawa Govt. to Prosecute Parents of Out-of-School Children

Lafia, Nasarawa state - Dr. Kassim Mohammed-Kassim, Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has announced plans to prosecute parents who fail to enroll their children in school.

The SUBEB Chairman issued the warning at a press conference on Tuesday in Lafia, held in preparation for the December 4 Education Summit organized by the board.

He emphasized that basic education is a fundamental right for every child in the state, not a privilege, and vowed to enforce this right to ensure no child is left behind.

Mohammed-Kassim explained that the board will launch a massive enlightenment campaign through town hall meetings and the mass media. As part of this effort, seven buses have been purchased to facilitate sensitization tours across all 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs), educating parents and guardians on the importance of school enrollment.

He further stated that special meetings would be organized in every LGA targeting herders, community leaders, and parents whose children are predominantly out of school.

"We will make them understand that they must compulsorily enroll their children and wards in schools, or face sanctions. Any parent who fails to send their children to school will face legal action in line with existing law," he declared.

Regarding the upcoming summit, Mohammed-Kassim said the event will gather stakeholders including educationists, government officials, traditional rulers, policymakers, parents, and teachers from international, national, and local spheres.

He noted that these stakeholders will collaborate to find solutions to education-related challenges, improve quality, and share best practices and innovations to enhance teaching and learning outcomes in the state.

The Chairman acknowledged that his board has identified numerous challenges hampering education quality, including substandard school structures, a lack of chairs, teacher shortages, staff truancy, and improper teacher placement.

"Already, we have taken significant steps to address these identified problems and reposition basic education in the state. We reported our findings to Governor Abdullahi Sule, and he has approved the purchase of 30,000 chairs for distribution to schools, ensuring every child is comfortable to learn," he said.

"We have also redeployed 1,900 teachers who were previously working as administrative staff back to the classroom, and about 1,000 more will soon be deployed to fill staffing gaps in our schools," Mohammed-Kassim added. (NAN)