Report By Bunmi Yekini
Advocates and stakeholders in the education sector have called on the government at both state and federal levels to commit to the Safe School Declaration (SSD) by making it a law in the country.
This call was made during a Public Hearing on the Safety and Security of Schools held at the Faculty of Law, UNILAG. The event was championed by the Consortium, which includes the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC), West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Sisters Against Violence Extremism (SISWACHI), and was supported by UNDEF to raise awareness on the vulnerabilities of schools and the need for legal frameworks and government resources to support systems that will make schools more secure.
The Public Hearing was attended by policymakers, authorities in the education sector, community leaders, security agencies, and students from the four tertiary institutions in the state. In his welcome address, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Ige Omotayo Bolodeoku, emphasized the multiple goals of the hearing. “Firstly, we aim to highlight the vulnerabilities faced by schools across our nation. According to the global coalition to protect education from attack, there were over 14,000 attacks globally on education in the last five years. Secondly, you will discuss the necessity of robust legal frameworks to safeguard our educational institutions, strong legal frameworks provide the necessary foundations for enforcing security measures and ensuring accountability. Thirdly, it is essential to advocate for the allocation of adequate government resources to support safe systems,” he said.
Prof. Bolodeoku, who was represented by Dr. Ifeoma Oluwasemilore of the Faculty of Law, mentioned that the United Nations estimates that ensuring safe learning environments could reduce school dropouts by 50%, contributing to higher education rates and economic growth. “We seek to secure partnerships that will strengthen the legal framework for the SSD, which is a safe school. Partnerships between government bodies, civil societies, and international organizations are crucial in mobilizing resources and expertise. Lastly, we aim to emphasize the importance of national and safe financial plans dedicated to the SSD,” he added.
Dr. Ifeoma Oluwasemilore representimg Prof. Bolodeoke,Dean of the Faculty of Law
Speaking further, the Dean highlighted the importance of sustainable financing for maintaining long-term safety measures and supporting continuous programs. He noted, “Without strong laws and policies, efforts to ensure school safety will be in vain.”
Mrs. Stella Olubunmi Francis, the state coordinator for the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All, stressed the need for stakeholders to work towards getting a legal framework for the Safe School Declaration. “So, whatsoever it will take us as civil society organizations to make sure and ensure that this policy becomes a law. I want to admonish that we all put our hands on deck and support WARD-C and the partners in ensuring that this comes to fruition.”
Mrs. Francis also emphasized that safe schools go beyond preventing attacks. “It also involves ensuring that guidelines are followed in the schools. It also ensures that infrastructures are safe enough for our children, not like what we had just a few days ago. We need to ensure that our quality assurance people in the education sector in SUBEB and in the ministries of education, play their role in ensuring the safety of our children in the schools.”
Community leader Baale Makinde Adesola, J.P., lamented the unsafe conditions of many schools in Lagos. “The leaders of tomorrow, the President of tomorrow, the medical doctor of tomorrow, but today they are not safe. So it’s the sitting today that will ensure safety in schools for my grandchildren. So it is important for us to join hands and make the school safe for them.”
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Mrs. Patience Obaulo, Head of Programs for the West Africa Nation of Peacebuilding (WANEP) Nigeria, representing Dr. Bridget Osakwe, National President of WANEP, spoke on the urgency and relevance of having a legal framework and actionable plans for the effective implementation of the policy. “The Safe School Initiative aims to promote the protection of young persons from violence, exposure to weapons, theft, bullying, and the sale of illegal substances within school premises, as well as provide good infrastructures, safety, and also peace within the school environment. Keeping schools safe allows young persons to look forward to being in an encouraging environment that promotes social and creative learning, promoting safe declaration creates an open space for young persons to explore, to learn, to grow, and also to peacefully coexist.”
Dr. Abiola Afolabi, Director, Center for Human Rights, UNILAG and coordinator of the Public Hearing, emphasized the broad scope of school attacks. “It’s beyond just being attacked by kidnappers and insurgents. In responding to the problems of schools, it becomes important not only to look at attacks in the context of insurgency or kidnapping but also to look at other kinds of attacks to be able to protect the school from further attacks.”
Dr. Abiola Afolabi, Director, Center for Human Rights, UNILAG
Dr. Afolabi explained the necessity of regional and international laws to protect the right to education. “We are trying to expand the conversation beyond just the right to education, to also ensure that the educational environment is protected to allow for the right to education to be achieved in the real sense because there is no point giving the right to education when people cannot sit in school to learn without any fear or forms of attacks.”