Participants at one-day symposium on school safety have advocated for more funding to ensure security and protection of institutions of learning, especially in areas bedevilled by insecurity.
The symposium was organised to commemorate ten years of Chibok girls abduction held at University of Maiduguri.
United Nations Children Education Fund UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Phuong Nguyen who was represented by Education officer, Dr Adamu Bulama streesed the need for collaborative effort with all stakeholders to address incessant attacks on schools and abduction of students.
He stressed the need to involve and train community members on how to ensure learning spaces in their domain are safe and protected.
“It is not only government, non-governmental organisations or UN agencies, community members will have to be informed that it is their responsibility to ensure that their schools are secured and also provided with skills that they need to respond to emergency ” Bulama said.
Deputy President Nigerian Children’s parliament, Zanna Sunoma urged government to sustain funding in area of safe school so that children can learn without fear of attack or intimidation.
He however commended the Borno and Yobe states government for implementing the safe school standard, calling on the remaining states to do same.
Some members of School Based Management Committee SBMC called for the involvement of traditional rulers in decision making process in schools within their communities.
The symposium was attended by government officials, security agencies, traditional rulers, non-governmental organisations, youth and women groups.
Dauda Iliya
