By Ngozi Nwankwo
Federal Government said it has developed many policies to improve safety of students in Nigerian schools.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman made this disclosure while briefing the press on all the recent activities and programmes of the Ministry in the last one year in the office.
Mamman said the ministry has developed the Standard Operational Procedure, SOP, for the Prosecution of perpetrators of school-based gender violence.
Enumerating other measures put in place to ensure safety of students, the Minister said included carrying out of sensitization and awareness campaign in communities, basic and post basic institutions in Nigeria; Establishment of National Safe School Response Coordination Centres,NSSRCC, at the headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to gather information on school safety and for quick response.
He said the Ministry established School Safety and Security Response Team in every school.
It also established Rapid Response Team in institutions of higher learning to ensure harmony and peaceful co-existence among Students, Lecturers, Unions, Communities and Government.
Others measures include:Trained students, Teachers, non teaching staff and community members on safety and security tips; Provided security infrastructure in all the 112 Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria;
Constructed high rising fences, solar street lights, CCTV and security monitoring gadgets in 112 Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria.
Speaking on the other achievements his Ministry has recorded in the last one year, Mamman said in the past one year, education sector has enrolled 4 million Twenty Eight thousand (4,028,000) Out-of-School-Children into Basic schools and Arabic literacy programme including 200,500 students with disabilities.
He disclosed the FG’s resolve to at least integrate 3.5 million Almajiri and Out-of-School-Children into the formal school system over the period of one year.
“The Ministry has continuous Nationwide sensitization, awareness and advocacy visit to traditional rulers and clerics on enrolment and integration of Out of School Children into formal schools.
Continuous review of curriculum at all levels of education to align with present realities,” he said.