UNICEF Partners Five States To Increase Financing For Safe Schools
Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane fielding questions from Journalists shortly after addressing the participants at the end of the three-day capacity strengthening at Mangari Primary School, Misau local government area of Bauchi State. Photo: Murtala Muhammad
By Murtala Muhammad
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says it is working with state governments to increase public financing for safe schools.
This is being done through engaging high-level government and political stakeholders by providing technical support to establish safe school committees.
The Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Tushar Rane stated this at the closing of a three-day capacity strengthening for teachers, members School Based Management Committee and community leaders on Safe School Guidelines.
Dr Tushar Rane said the emphasis was also on the safety of school infrastructure and continuous monitoring of schools’ implementation of minimum standards for quality-inclusive education.
According to him, UNICEF was raising public awareness regarding the importance of community involvement in addressing school safety concerns and promoting healthy learning environments.
He said when schools are safe, children feel encouraged to attend school and ultimately have access education, thereby laying the foundation for brighter future and their communities.
The UNICEF Chief noted that Nigerian government has initiated various policies to ensure the safety of students and teachers both within and beyond school premises.
Dr Rane said these include the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI), the Domestication of the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD), the establishment of Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, the National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Schools (NPSSVFS), as well as the Implementation Guidelines.
“The Minimum safety school standards are broken down into six key result areas (Strong school system; Violence against children; Natural hazards; Conflict; Everyday hazards; and Safe school infrastructure)” he said.
According to him, the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, developed by Federal Ministry of Education, the Education in Emergencies Working Group, led by UNICEF, set guidelines for education stakeholders to protect children’s wellbeing in schools.
“In Bauchi Field office, we are facilitating the implementation of the minimum safety standards in three states (Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe), with plans to expand to two additional states (Plateau and Taraba)” Dr Rane noted.
“We are enhancing the capacity of frontline workers including 1,385 teachers, head-teachers, and school-based management committees at the basic education level, equipping them to respond to emergencies, including school attacks, and developed school emergency preparedness response plans to make sure the schools are safe and habitable for students, teachers and all stakeholders to carry out their activities without risks” he added.
One of the trainees, the Headmistress, Mangari Primary School, Misau local government area of Bauchi State, Malama Hauwa Abdullahi appreciated the state government and UNICEF for the opportunity provided them and assured to improve on the safety of both human and material resources.
