Children Day: Lagos Monarch urges govt to tackle menace of out-of-school children

The traditional ruler of Otumara and Ojo-oniyun community in Lagos Mainland of Lagos State, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has urged government at all levels to tackle the menace of out-of-school children in the country.

Kalejaiye also called on the government to foster quality child education to secure the future of the younger generation .

He urged parents to inculcate positive values in their children and complement the efforts of teachers towards imparting education in the children.

The community ruler made the call on this year Children’s Day celebration in Lagos.

Children Day is celebrated to address issues affecting the children globally.

In Nigeria, May 27 every year is set aside to celebrate Children.

He said, “I join parents across the world to celebrate Children on this occasion of the annual Children Day. It is pathetic that the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria is on the rise.

Nigeria has the higher number of out-of-school children in the world which is why the government must pay special attention to tackling the menace which threatens the future of our children.

Many of these children are out there on the street hawking during school hours. Some of them engage in alms begging, an act that exposes them to all sort 9f assault and harassment.

While I commend the effort of the Lagos State government towards eradicating Street trading and the influx of child’s beggar on the street of Lagos, I implore them to do more in the area of enrolment in public schools.

These children need to be educated to ensure a better life for them.

As we celebrate our children today, I urge our government to invest more in the education of our children and also promote practical learning.

Also, over the years, there has been a decline in moral standards and values. Our parents need to do more in this very important aspect the child’s life.

I urge parents to be involved in their children’s moral and academic development. Parents should be involved, because the number of hours children spend at schools is far lesser than the hours they spent with their parents at home.”

Views: 12