Institute to train 60 policy makers on IDPs education

Institute to train 60 policy makers on IDPs education
NAN-HG-8
Girl-child
By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja, Feb. 13, 2018 (NAN) Prof. Lilian Salami, Director-General, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), says the institute will train 60 policy makers in security education to address challenges of education for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
Salami told newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja that education in the IDP camps, especially for girl-child, was neglected and should be a priority for all policy makers.
“We will be training about 60 policy makers from the 26 of March because they are responsible for the children that are displaced and they must ensure their education and other intervention are carried out effectively.
“We have not been emphasising on the aspect of education for children in the camps, we feel is very crucial and should be treated holistically.
“There is much emphasis about their nutrition, sanitation and health, but not much attention is given to their education, they were in school before they were displaced and they should continue their education while in camp.
“The ministry of education should have impact in the camps; there is need for such peculiar persons to be properly situated in the Nigeria educational system,’’ Salami said.
She added that state ministries of education would be involved in providing space for classes, teachers and instructional materials in order to ensure that each child was educated while in camp.
The director-general stated that such approach was an informal one that would be introduced into the camps before the IDPs are re-integrated back into their communities.
She said the institute had engaged in other training such as the girl-child education, adding that no meaningful development could take place if the issue of girl-child education was not factored into the educational system.
“As managers and administrators we have a crucial role to play in revitalising and repositioning the Nigerian education system.
“We emphasises on equity for the girl child, they should have equal opportunity like the boy-child.
“In the institute we have trained about 87 persons including head teachers, policy makers and educational planners across the country who will ensure the girl-child goes to school.
“We are also developing science teachers from unity schools in all the 36 states of the federation on the best way to teach science subjects to the students, so that students can assimilate better,’’ she said.
Salami called on the government, philanthropists and private organisations to support the institute financially in revamping and repositioning the educational sector in Nigeria.
On the proposed merger of some federal agencies, the director-general explained that the institute has a peculiar mandate for building capacity in educational sector in collaboration global partnerships.
According to her, NIEPA is partnering with the World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF to train managers, planners and administrators of education sector in the country.
“NIEPA is one of four of its kind globally. And NIEPA does not only cover Nigeria, but the West African sub-region,’’ Salami said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the institute was established in 1992 to breach the gap through capacity building, training, consulting, research in educational planning and information dissemination. (NAN)
TIM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola