OYO ASSEMBLY DECRIES RATE OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDREN, ENCOURAGES FAMILY PLANNING- By Oyeniyi Esan

The Oyo State House of Assembly had decried the high rate
of out-of –school children in the state, urging parents and guardians
to embrace the free education policy provided by the state government
and encourage family planning as measure to reduce birth rate.
In the motion read by Honourable A. O. Mustapha, representing Kajola
Constituency, there is urgent need for the state government
to upscale efforts in tackling the rate of out-of-school children in
the state.
According to him, “ It is a very painful sight to seeing children on the
road/street hawking and begging whereas they should be in the classroom
where they are expected to be learning or acquiring skills because the
state  has committed enough resources to various government
ministries, departments, agencies and commissions.
“If you drive through Sango, Mokola Roundabout, Dugbe, Challenge and
other areas in Ibadan metropolis, you will see the proliferation of
beggars and hawkers who are children prowling the roads on a daily
basis.
“This is a pointer to the fact that the role the government is playing
in the training and upbringing is not yielding a positive outcome as a
result of inadequate contributions from the side of the parents, hence
the need to address the menace.
“There is need to embrace family planning because of better
reproductive health care and will bolster economies and contribute to
sustainable development by empowering women to complete their
education, join the paid labour force, be more productive in their
jobs, earn higher incomes and increase savings and investments. “
The Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin led Assembly reached this decision
after considering the motion and resolve to urge the Executive Arm of
Government through the Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic
Education Board to set up a special task force that will apprehend
children hawking or begging on the roads during school hours for
proper enrolment in school.
“The Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion to rehabilitate
miscreants and out of school children; and the Ministry of
Information, Culture and Tourism and other media outlets in the State are also urged
to sensitize the general public especially parents on the need to give
adequate care to their wards.