The Concerned Parents and Educators Initiative has called on government to address critical issues in the Education sector. This call was made in a communique sent to the media after a meeting with key stakeholders on Saturday 4th December.
The Virtual meeting with over 440 participants was attended by Parents, Schoolowners, Nigerians in the diaspora, Teachers, Counsellors and other key stakeholders in the education sector .
According to the founder of the group, Mrs Yinka Ogunde, the issues at stake even goes beyond the education sector. This is a time that we must all come together as a nation and choose to re-examine our values and the impact of it in the lives of young Nigerians. It is a period that calls for urgent National reorientation.
The meeting was held to discuss some of the critical issues that the Dowen College incident has brought to light .
Participants made various suggestions on how to tackle the problems encountered by Nigerian children in the boarding school
- Discipline in our schools should be well defined.
- Schools should have a system where students can report bullying without fear of victimization.
- CPE should have a desk office to report incidents of bullying.
- The ministry of education and youth ministry needs to set up monitoring criteria and set up formidable task force to ensure safeguarding of boarding schools.
- Ministry of education should have regular unplanned visits to boarding schools and ratings should be made public.
- Schools should have safeguarding policies.
- Peer mentoring
- Suggestion box should be made use of in schools.
- Boarding house should be well structured for that purpose with well trained full time staff.
- CCTV cameras should be installed in the hostels.
- Whistle blowing policy in schools.
- Government should partner with NGO’s to monitor schools.
- Government should organize regular training for hostel staff.
Mrs Ogunde stated that engagement with various key stakeholders has begun and CPE will continue to work towards driving change in the education sector