By CHARLES IWUOHA

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Inspiring Generation and Humanity Support Foundation (IGHUSUF), has trained over 50 students, CSOs, Media, Security officers, community leaders and other education stakeholders on achieving safety in schools in Ebonyi State.

Speaking at the step down training and stakeholders’ engagement held at Federal Government College (FGGC) Ezzamgbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, Executive Director IGHUSUF Africa, Mr. Darlington Onwe, explained that the Education Stakeholders Engagement and Step-Down training on Safe School Declaration was a project of development Research Programme Centre (RPC) in collaboration with Ford Foundation.

He noted that it was designed to enhance the capacity of CSOs and transfer demonstrable Safe School Declaration knowledge, skills and practice to education stakeholders and SBMCs/CBMCs at community levels.

“Similarly, it targets to build Capacity of indigenous Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working to end Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Ebonyi State. This program is designed to increase the success and sustainability of CSOs and CSO networks working across programming areas to address and respond to GBV through deliberate capacity building, evidence generation, sharing and cross learning.”

He stressed that the engagement was expected to mobilize support on stakeholders involvement in safe school declaration, adding that the safe school initiative is targeted at ensuring that schools in Nigeria are safe and secured for academic activities.

According to him, the programme would be a formation of a coalition to sustain advocacy on school safety in the state.

In their goodwill messages, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Elder Sunday Okike, representative of the Secondary Education Board, Mrs. Ngozi C. Kalu and the Principal of Federal Government Girls’ College Ezzamgbo, Mrs Onuoha I.N., commended IGUSUF Africa, RRCP, Ford foundation and the federal government for the policy on safe school declaration.

Also Speaking, the ministry of Education said they placed security of students, teachers and the environment on their priority list, while appealing for the deployment of the state security team (Ebubeagu) and civil defense personnel to different schools in the state.

Participants during the interactive session pointed out some actions that will assist in making schools in Ebonyi State safer to includes parameter fencing of the school, presence of security unit with trained security personnel in schools and ensuring safety preparedness for all schools in case of emergencies.

They identified sexual abuse, bullying, cultism, kidnapping, vandalization of school property, accidents, religious or communal crises as factors to be checked.

Others challenges they pointed out to include; lack of better infrastructures, lack of conducive environment for teaching and learning, inadequate presence of trained security personnel, non-availability of safe communication channel and non-functional guidance and counseling units in school.

They called for availability of basic facilities such as toilets, water, light, sickbay, parameter fencing, security post, well equipped library, effective communication gadgets and safety signs in schools.

Participants however resolved to take actions in ensuring safe school in Ebonyi State through formation of a coalition that will continue to engage and advocate for safe schools and protection of students rights in the state.

The engagement and training programme had in attendance the five girls' Secondary schools, eight CSOs, members of the School Based Management Committee (SBMC), local vigilantes, Faith Based Organization, members of the PTA and the Media.