Parents to pay N250,000 fine over failure to enrol children in school

Story from Usman UMAR

The Nigerian Senate is planning to impose N250,000 fine on parents who neglect to enrol their children in school.

Lawmakers in the Upper Chamber are pushing for an increase in the penalty paid by defaulting parents from N2,500 to N250,000.

The Senate also approved a Bill for an Act to modify the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education

Act during the second reading.

The Bill put forward by Senator Idiat Adebule aims to examine the law to ensure that a crucial provision in the UBE Act giving authority to the Local Education Authority within the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory to take legal action against parents who deprive their children basic education is enforced.

The Bill suggested a change in the penalty for defaulting parents from 2,500 to 250,000 naira.

Likewise, the Bill aimed to alter and remove section 4(2) of the UBE Act, 2004, which exempts parents living abroad from being penalised.

The Bill, which received unanimous support, passed the second reading and was referred to the Committee on Education, Basic, and Secondary for further review within two weeks.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), there are approximately 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, a statistic that government officials have challenged.

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