FCT Education Board To Sanction Parents Of Children Roaming Abuja Streets During School Hours

The Chairman of the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT UBEB), Dr Alhassan Sule has warned that parents of children caught roaming about during school hours will be sanctioned according to the law.

Sule, who was speaking during an interview with THE WHISTLER newspaper, said the Board is determined to ensure that every child in the FCT, gets free and compulsory education.

“We frown at a situation where a child of school age will be seen between 8.am and 2.30pm hawking or roaming about. We will not tolerate that. If such a child is seen, the parents will answer to us. There are laws for punishment for such parents,” he said.

He, however, stated that education is everybody’s business, urging residents of the FCT to support the government’s effort to ensure that every child in the territory gets the education they need.

Sule who noted that the government is doing all it could to ensure that the schools in the FCT meet global standard, stated that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has approved the sum of N13.1bn to finance the renovation, construction of toilets, and provision of furniture across secondary and primary schools in the territory.

“We have also trained more than 7000 teachers within the last one year. Also, instructional materials that we have procured and distributed are more than 150,000. We have renovated more than 250 schools across. We have over 180 new constructions,” he said.

While speaking on the achievement of the Board in the year 2023, Sule added that it has ensured the reduction of out-of-school children in the FCT significantly.

“You can only rate your achievement after viewing your products and my products are the children. So far, we have worked hard to ensure that we reduce the number of out-of-school children.

“On a weekly, monthly basis, we have some ambassadors we use to tell the whole world and their communities that school is free and compulsory.

“Some of their peers now get interested in schools. It is increasing our enrollment drive. Also, the schools in the FCT have been emerging overall best in quiz and sporting competitions,” he said.