Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said an estimated 250,000 out-of-school children in the state is alarming.
He urged parents, traditional rulers and community leaders to join hands with the government to ensure a reversal of the situation.
Diri spoke yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital, during the launch of a national campaign on out-of-school children organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, the governor said his administration would do its part to ensure education was accessible to every child of school age.
He advised parents and community leaders to encourage their children to enrol in schools.
Diri said the state government supported free primary and secondary education with the purchase of uniform and other instructional materials.
Lamenting the number of out-of-school children in the state despite an existing law to check the menace, he implored relevant ministries to ensure the law was publicised and implemented.
Diri hailed the Federal Ministry of Education for bringing the campaign to Bayelsa, saying the people and Niger Delta would benefit from the initiative.
He said: “A law was passed by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on this matter in 2018. So, Mr. Minister, Bayelsa State had addressed the issues long before now. But your coming is key, as it has opened our eyes to the level of out-of-school children in our state.
“The issue is mostly about implementation. We have the laws to ensure our children are educated. This law has to be implemented across our communities. The Ministries of Information and Education must do all within their power to ensure the public is aware of this law and it is implemented.
“It is unbelievable that a law like this was enacted and assented to by a sitting governor. Yet we have out-of-school children.”
“Let me take this opportunity to call on parents to ensure they take advantage of the provisions of government. There is free primary education. Uniform and other instructional materials are being provided by the government. So, why won’t parents send their children to school?
“As a state, we will continue to prioritise education and have a paradigm shift that will be beyond certificates. We have introduced technical education and by our third anniversary, we will inaugurate some of the schools.”
The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah-Opiah, said education was a collective responsibility and called on stakeholders to join forces to eradicate the menace of out-of-school children in the interest of the country.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education had put in place mechanisms to ensure education was accessible to children of school age and appealed to the state government to prioritise education.