The Nigerian Senate has passed for second reading, a bill to increase the penalty of parents who deny their children the right to education from N2,500 to N250,000 in line with the Universal Basic Education Act .
The bill is to serve as deterrent for parents who prefer to engage their children in commercial activities or child labour, domestic chores and other non curricular activities including apprenticeship during school hours that prevent children from attending school
The bill tagged ” Bill for an Act to amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act Is sponsored by Senator Idiat Adebule.
The bill seeks to review the law to ensure that a key provision in the UBE Act that empowers the Local Education Authority within the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory to prosecute parents who deny their wards the right to basic education is implemented.
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The bill also seeks to amend and delete section 4(2) of the UBE Act, 2004 which excludes parents in diaspora from being sanctioned.
Lawmakers unanimously supported bill as it scaled second reading and was referred to the Committee on Education, Basic and Secondary to report back in two weeks.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
