PLAN Int’l celebrates 2024 Protect Education From Attack Day

BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto

Save the Child Initiative (STCI) Nigeria, with support from Plan International, Tuesday organized a workshop to mark 2024 “International Day To Protect Education From Attack” in Sokoto.

The one day workshop with the theme, “Protecting Education: A Shared Responsibility” drew participants from diverse disciplines.

In a welcome address, PLAN International said they have a 2024-2028 country strategy for Nigeria which is committed to  encouraging inclusive and quality education, motivating youths to become active agents of change, and also enabling them to decide and thrive.

Continuing, PLAN International said the mission could only be achieved through embarking on effective collaboration with stakeholders such as  through partnership with communities, governments, corporate institutions’ networks and NGOs as well as INGOs.

This, PLAN International said further, therefore means, that they have bilateral, multilateral and international partnership strategies geared towards achieving it’s goals.

Giving a background on why protection of schools should be everybody’s business, an official, Gift Zagi, said education in Nigeria has been under severe attack over the last decade and thus the need to come up with work plans from all stakeholders on how to end the menace.

She also divulged that there is an action plan of school safety which is yet to be validated.

Delivering a paper on the Journey of Safe School Declaration in Nigeria: Challenges and Achievements, Dr Judith Giwa said the country is among the most affected as far as unsafe school situation was concerned.

“These incidents are more in the north east and north west where attacks are mostly carried out in schools and educational institutions lately perpetrated by Boko Haram and insurgents.”

Continuing, Dr Giwa listed challenges faced by the Safe School Declaration to include, incomplete implementation of the 2PoA (2018-2020 and  2020-2023, slow policy implementation, weak level of awareness and implementation at subnational levels, as well as weak political will and budget allocation for the safe schools declaration.

Dr Giwa listed other challenges to include displacement and educational disruption, non adherence to minimum standards, ownership taking by Federal ministry of education and more attention paid to conflict-insecurity driven hazards than others.

She further listed terrorism and insurgency, kidnapping and ransom demand, cultism and gang violence, cyber bullying and online harassment, mental health issues and psychological wellbeing as well as parental anxiety and impact on children amongst others.

Dr Giwa urged them to deploy innovation and technology, peer education, advocacy and participation in community watch initiatives, influence policy, provision of trauma and watchdog support and taking part in global diplomacy and engagement as some of the roles that youth are expected to play in promoting the Safe Schools Declaration.