The study which was funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has the International Rescue Committee and Common Heritage Foundation as implementing partners.
The Act enforcing the compulsory Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Nigeria discriminates against Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD), a United Kingdom-sponsored research has revealed.
A team of researchers who studied the policy and implementation of basic education in prolonged conflict areas occupied by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria disclosed that vulnerable Nigerians are also discriminated against by the UBE Act.
The study which was funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has the International Rescue Committee and Common Heritage Foundation as implementing partners.
While briefing education stakeholders on Tuesday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, the Research Project Manager, Dr. Sani Njobdi, described the UBE Act as a sham.
According to him, there is a sharp contradiction between the policy and its implementation.
Njobdi further disclosed that the aim of the study was to help policymakers redefine free, compulsory universal basic education in Nigeria.
He further stressed that as it is "practically impossible to implement the UBE Act 2004, in favour of the PLWD and poor Nigerians."
"First, there was a meeting of minds between government functionaries and researchers on the access, continuity, and quality of education problems in conflict-affected areas. That done, we discussed the opportunity for finding a solution to using the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) support for the research.
"Then we spent the whole of last year defining which of the numerous issues affecting education access, quality, and continuing is most pressing when considering critical, urgency, impact, etc.
“The study showed that the most important are (a) lack of coherence between the policy and its implementation, e.g., the compulsory, accessible, and universal education law promises what is not seen.
"Otherwise, every child will be in school whether there is conflict or not. Other priorities are teacher issues, data for making decisions, and the child's and the community's social and emotional aspects, which affect learning," Njobdi said.
He added that "although the UBE Act provides free, universal, and compulsory education, many parents, officials, and communities must know it”.
“They don’t even know that there is punishment for preventing a child from going to school.
"Access to education is universal, but the infrastructure and bureaucracy discriminate against children with special needs and people with low incomes who cannot afford PTA (Parent Teachers Association) and other school levies.
"The UBE Act providing compulsory free and universal education is well thought out. Still, the implementation in conflict-affected areas requires further study to develop the strategy for doing so," he said.
The study which was funded by the UK FCDO has International Rescue Committee and Common Heritage Foundation as implementing partners.