Parents Of Out-of-School Children to be Arrested: Abia State Govt Talks Tough

Parents Of Out-of-School Children to be Arrested: Abia State Govt Talks Tough

The Abia state government has announced plans to launch an operation to track down children who are not in school during school hours. According to Goodluck Ubochi, the state commissioner for basic and secondary education, Abia’s education marshals will begin the operation on March 1, 2025.

Ubochi explained that pupils found outside of school during school hours will be taken into custody and used to locate and apprehend their parents, who will face punishment. The government’s goal is to enforce school attendance, as it has invested in providing a better education for its children.

This initiative comes as Nigeria struggles with a significant number of out-of-school children. UNICEF estimates that one in every three Nigerian children is not in school, with 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary level.