The Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (CR-SUBEB), in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has flagged off the Result in Education for All Children (REACH) Programme, a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at returning out-of-school children to classrooms across the state.
The programme is designed to identify children who are out of school, mobilise communities and encourage parents to enrol them in school, while providing learning materials and other support to improve learning outcomes.
Speaking at the state-level advocacy and official flag-off of the programme in Calabar, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dr. Stephen Odey, represented by Dr. Mrs. Alice Olom, described the reintegration of out-of-school children into classrooms as an investment in the future of society and Nigeria.
Odey said every child deserved the opportunity to learn, develop their talents and build a better future, noting that poverty and other circumstances beyond the control of some families had deprived many children of access to education.
He said returning such children to school would restore hope and dignity while giving them an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. He commended SUBEB, parents, teachers, social workers, development partners and other stakeholders for their commitment to ensuring that every child of school age had access to quality basic education.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Mrs. Fedelia Okpo Ene, urged parents and guardians to ensure that all school-age children returned to school as the new academic session commenced, stressing that basic education, particularly at the primary level, was free in Cross River.
Ene warned against allowing children to engage in street hawking or roam the streets during school hours, saying children found outside school during learning periods would be picked up, while their parents or guardians would be identified and held accountable.
She disclosed that SUBEB had continued to support pupils and parents with essential learning materials, including free exercise books, textbooks, school bags and sandals, adding that the Board was prepared to provide school uniforms to further reduce the financial burden on families and encourage regular attendance.
The chairman expressed appreciation to Governor Bassey Edet Otu for his unwavering commitment to education, which she described as the bedrock of development, while commending development partners and other stakeholders whose support had contributed to the initiative.
Also speaking, the Director of Social Mobilisation, CR-SUBEB, Mr. Sunny Abua Afor, described education as “the greatest equaliser,” expressing concern that many children across the state remained out of school and were engaged in street hawking, child labour and other activities.
Afor said the REACH Programme was focused on strengthening the entire education “book chain” to ensure that children acquired basic literacy and numeracy skills. He said the programme would cover communities across the state, including Obanliku, Obubra, Yakurr, Odukpani and Bakassi.
He disclosed that the state had mapped out-of-school children through School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and conducted school-enrolment sensitisation campaigns across the 18 Local Government Areas. He added that the programme had supported the provision of textbooks and teacher training to improve learning outcomes.
Afor called on local government chairmen, traditional and religious leaders, parents, community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to replicate the sensitisation campaign in their communities and encourage parents to return their children to school, stressing that government alone could not achieve the objective.
The flag-off procession commenced at Eleven Eleven and proceeded to Watt Market before returning to the SUBEB premises for the final ceremony. The event was attended by SUBEB and UBEC officials, LGEA secretaries, development partners, UNICEF, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, with the REACH Programme expected to deepen community mobilisation and reduce the number of out-of-school children across Cross River State.
Dignitaries at the event included Mr. Joseph Ogar, Board Member I; Dr. Theresa Essien, Board Member II; and Dr. Roseline Bisong, Board Member III.
Dr. Omuta Obanowu, representing the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba; Dr. German Anagbogu; Dr. Mrs. MaryTheresa Ebe Agede, Permanent Secretary, SUBEB; and Dr. David Edet, representing the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs.
Also present were Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) Secretaries, development partners, a representative of UNICEF, representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs), among others.
By Joy Ndoma
