States that were yet to pass the Child Rights Act should urgently do so in order to reduce the chances of child abuse in the country, Head of School, Softnet Technology Academy, Bulus Martin Luther, has said.
He also called on the government to improve teachers’ welfare and review the existing curriculum for schools in the country to produce employable graduates.
Luther made the appeal during a cultural day activity organized by the school in commemoration of International Children’s Day.
The educationist said the domestication of the CRA would increase child protection and ensure Nigeria is not ranked low on the protection of children on the global stage.
About 11 States in the country had yet to domesticate the CRA that was adopted by the Federal Government in 2003 to guarantee the rights of the children.
“I will advise that states should take the child rights act seriously and learn from states are have already adopted it. Every child has the right to education and no one should be deprived of that right,” he said.
According to him, parents, educators and the government at all levels should ensure that children are introduced to sex education early.
Luther insisted that parents must moderate and regulate what their children are exposed to on social media platforms and talk to the children regularly.
He said the government should also improve teachers’ welfare and review the existing curriculum for schools in the country to produce graduates that are employable.
He said: “Charity they say begins at home. There is a need for parents to wake up to their responsibilities because many parents had delegated their duties to teachers. So they must ensure they teach their children sex education so the society can be a better place.
“Western education brought advancement but in recent times we have seen a decline in the nation’s education system and that is not a really good thing for the country.
“Government should make the welfare of teachers priority as well as ensuring that the education sector is well organized and curriculum worked upon. As you can see the current strike embarked upon by varsities teachers does not augur well for the sector.
Luther said the school is the first technology-based school, adding that “we see that a lot of graduates are out there without skills and technical know-how. That is the gap we intend to fill”.
