Child Protection Network (CPN) Oyo State Chapter a group of Civil Society Organisations (NGOs, FBOs, & CBOs) including Child Development and Concern Foundation organised a symposium to celebrate 2019 Day of the African Child on the 17th June, 2019 at Goshen Events Center, Mokola Ibadan.
Every June 16 has been recognised as International Day of the African Child. The symposium was meant to join the rest of the world to commemorate the memory of hundreds of school children killed and many others injured at the peaceful march in Soweto, South Africa in 1976 while protesting on inferior quality of education. The theme for this year’s celebration is ”Averting Social Crises through Child Right to Quality Education”.
Present at the event were important personalities from government ministries and agencies, security officials (Police and Civil Defense Corps), Professional Associations and other stakeholders working together to promote the rights and well-being of Oyo State Children to proffer solution to problems of poor quality education in the State and Nigeria at large. Selected secondary school students from both private and public schools were also in attendance.
Cross section of invited guests and students
The State Coordinator for CPN, Dr. Ebunlomo Walker in her welcome address identified the importance of the symposium and how such gathering is needed to encourage all stakeholders in education sector to live up to their responsibilities to ensure a better and safer society. She however outlined the mandate of Child Protection Network to promote and safeguard the rights and well-being of children;
- Capacity building for child rights promotion, response and rescue of abused children.
- Community awareness – sensitisation on child rights in and out of school and communities.
- Promotion of better parenting.
- Services to ensure care and access to justice for abused children.
- Supporting vulnerable children.
- Partnering with other stakeholders to address and implement above strategies for well-being of children.
Panel of Discussants and Moderator at the Symposium
The panel of discussants,(R to L) Mr. Obatowon, of the Ministry of Education, the Director National Orientation Agency (NOA), Princess Dolapo Dosumu, Dr Adefunke Ekime and Prof. Grace Adejumo from the University of Ibadan recommended the following to improve the quality of education in Oyo State;
- Having professional and well trained teachers in our schools
- Continuous training of teachers
- Adequate compensation for the teachers as job motivation
- Introduction of children to early education as 90% of brain formation happens in a child from age 0 – 5 years.
- Government should provide adequate learning and teaching facilities for students and teachers.
- Proper monitoring of the activities of the school administrators to check their excesses.
- Teachers should provide a caring atmosphere that will always encourage students to attend school.
- Adequate parental care that with compliment the efforts of the teachers.
- Encouraging the old students of every school to give back to their Alma Mater.
The implementation of all issues raised at the symposium lies with the government, parents and teachers as major stakeholders responsible for ensuring child rights to quality education. It was emphasized that if all the stakeholders could do their bits rightly, it will improve the quality of education in the state which will in turn reduce the ravaging social crises.
Picture of CPN officials and invited guests
Group pictures with students, CPN members and invited guests