Education and responsible parenting may help to build a peaceful and secure society for the Nigerian child. This is the submission of educationists on the occasion of the 2012 National Children’s Day which has as its theme as Let’s Build a Culture of Peace and Security for the Nigerian Child.
Meanwhile Ogun, Ondo and Lagos states also marked the Children’s Day with fun fare and policy statements from their governors.
Amosun, while addressing the students, admonished them to begin the writing of their own history, so that their tomorrow could be asured.
He said: “As leaders of tomorrow, you must strive to be upright in all your undertakings. You should cultivate the virtues of discipline, decency, seriousness of purpose, focus, and respect for constituted authority and appreciation of dignity of labour.”
Also, Governor Olusegun Mimiko said one of the notable achievements of his government is the enthronement of peace and order in the state under which the children can be trained to actualise their potentials.
Speaking at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, Akure, venue of the celebration, Gov. Mimiko said, “children of Ondo State are being exposed to a culture of peace, security, healthy, modern and clean environment as opposed to the ambience of insecurity, intolerance and violence of the era gone by.”
During the Children’s Day parade and rally at the Police College Parade Ground, GRA, Ikeja, the Lagos State Government announced the introduction of inclusive schools for the physically- challenged students in the state which is aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school-children and also giving them a sense of belonging.
Gov. Babatunde Fashola: “There are 31 of such inclusive schools carved out of existing schools in the state and children should be their brother’s keepers by helping the physically- challenged in their schools.”
Meantime, the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board has flagged off the registration of compulsory free nursery/universal basic education for the 2012/13 school year.
Pointing out that the exercise will help reduce the number of OOSC in the state, SUBEB Board Secretary, Mrs. Titi Oluseye, said plans had been concluded to introduce the free mid-day meals so as to keep registered children in schools.
