The group registered its concern yesterday in Damaturu, in a statement signed by Mr Cleobas James, the EiEWG Yobe State Co-focal Person, to commemorate the ‘International Day to Protect Education from Attack’ 2021.
According to the statement, the protracted conflict in the North-East had devastating impacts on education.
“From 2009 until December 2018, 611 teachers were killed and 910 schools damaged or destroyed.
“More than 1,500 schools were forced to close and some 4.2 million children in the region are at risk of missing out on education
Insurgency, kidnapping, others responsible for rising number of out of school children – Adamu
“Hundreds of girls have been abducted, some from their own schools, which are meant to be safe zones”, it said in the statement.
It added that outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated the already education crisis in the North-East, with the highest Out-of-School Children and the lowest enrollment rate.
They emphasized that schools must remain safe places, free of conflict and violence.
“Our collective future, as well as the achievements of all development goals depend on education.
“Safeguarding the right to education for all, contributes to the achievement of sustainable development and nurtures the international community’s decades long-gains towards peace, economic prosperity, and social inclusion worldwide,” they added.
