TO bridge the gap between early childhood education development in urban cities and rural areas in Oyo State, the Education Officer, United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF), Mrs. Justina Onifade, has called on community leaders and residents in all the 33 local government areas of Oyo State to support early childhood education programmes in their communities.
She also urged lawmakers at local, state and federal levels to key into the early childhood education programme for its sustenance in their communities.
Mrs Onifade made this appeal at a one-day stakeholders meeting on early childhood education in Oyo State, organised by the Universal Basic Education Board in collaboration with UNICEF B-Field Office, Lagos, at Wallan Hotel, Ibadan.
According to her, it has become obvious that government will need community residents’ assistance in the development process of pre- primary school programme in their localities.
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Her words: “ It has become imperative for Oyo State government to comply with the improved school system of one year pre- primary school programme in the country. Pre-primary school education is a national programme in the country whereby every child’s education process, from age two and five, irrespective of their backgrounds, takes off before they proceed to primary school. This new educational system, which is being introduced in government schools, will afford children the opportunity of knowing the importance of schooling and what its entails before starting primary school education.
“Recent survey conducted in Oyo State revealed that there are many of these children across villages in the state who are still with their mothers, constituting nuisance in the communities, instead of being in school as their counterparts in urban centres. This is appealing to lawmakers, philanthropists, at home and abroad who are indigenes of the communities to support the development of this school in their areas. UNICEF will want the state government to replicate its effort in early childhood education development in the state.”
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Yinka Osuntogun, represented by Mrs Lucy Eniola, the Director, Social Mobilisation and Information Communication Technology of the board, stated that pre-primary school programme is a necessity in the Nigerian education system, stressing that Oyo State government would ensure the development and sustenance of the programme in the state.
UNICEF NEWS
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