The United Nations Children’s Fund
says it is mobilising resources to improve access to quality education
by the poor and vulnerable children in Kaduna State.
UNICEF
Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate, stated this
in Kaduna on Sunday during the annual UNICEF-Access Bank Charity Shield
Polo Tournament, at Fifth Chukker Country Polo Club.
Munduate,
who was represented by UNICEF Chief of Operations, Mr. Opiyo Nixon
noted that education is very important to the development of a child.
She
said that the resources were being mobilised in partnership with the
Access Bank Group and Fifth Chukker Polo Country Club, Kaduna, through
the annual Polo Tournament.
Munduate explained
that the 2023 tournament was part of a continued partnership to increase
access to quality education by orphans and vulnerable children in
Kaduna State.
This, she said, would give the children the opportunity for a better and quality of life in the future.
She
added that these efforts are in line with SDG 4, which seeks to ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all.
“At this time, we are
joining hands with other partners – Fifth Chukker, Access Bank Group,
and other participants to raise resources that will go into advancing
access to education.
“The funds will be
invested in improving the quality of teaching but more importantly, in
ensuring that each child has the opportunity to access education to
advance in life.
“The funds that will be realised will be ploughed back into already established schools to fill existing gaps,” she noted.
Meanwhile,
Munduate identified some of the gaps to accessing quality education to
include the following – number of teachers needs to be increased to meet
the 40 pupil-teacher ratio per class, as well as the need to improve
libraries and computer laboratories.
The
Country Representative added that the school management is looking into
expanding additional classrooms following the high number of demands for
enrolment into the schools.
She commended the
partners for their remarkable efforts and commitments towards improving
the learning environment through renovations, equipping and provision of
infrastructure, and upgrading of primary schools.
In
spite of the recorded achievements, the UNICEF boss informed of the
need for the continued provision of opportunities and amenities to
encourage the learning and mental development of children.
“This will leave no child behind in the journey towards meeting SDG 4,” she said.
She
called on partners to pool resources together and ensure that every
child within the community has access to education facilities that
provide for a quality education.
The
partnership, which began in 2006, is in line with UNICEF’s mandate of
advocating for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their
basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full
potential.
The partnership, which targets
children and families in greatest need, has been providing support to
accelerate access to quality education for disadvantaged children,
especially the orphans and the vulnerable children.
Under
the partnership, two schools – LEA Maraban Jos, in Igabi Local
Government Area and LEA Kakau, in Chikun LGA were adopted and rebuilt –
to sustain the provision of quality education to OVC.
The schools’ infrastructure were upgraded, alongside the provision of toilets, water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
These
were implemented in collaboration with the Kaduna State Ministry of
Education, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board and Kaduna State
Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.
Source: NAN
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