Mrs Celine Lafoucriere, the Chief, Lagos Field Office, UNICEF, made the commitment during a visit to the assembly in Abeokuta on Thursday.
While engaging the lawmakers on measures required to reduce rate of out-of-school children in the state, she explained that the menace was a major concern to the international body.
Lafoucriere said that UNICEF Nigeria had prioritised acceleration of action on reduction of out-of-school children in the state specifically and Nigeria generally.
She added that the state stood out in its commitment to make a change in education.
The Team Lead and UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti, said that a survey conducted on out-of-school children revealed that the state had among the highest rate of such children in the Southwest region.
“UNICEF identified multiple barriers as reasons why children may not be attending school.
“Poverty is the biggest barrier to school access, exacerbated by school fees and other costs of education,” she said.
Menkiti said that there was need to work with traditional leaders, families and other stakeholders to organise enrolment campaigns for out-of-school children in the state.
“There is need to increase the state ministry’s budget allocation to provide school supplies, infrastructure and more teachers,” she said.
Mr Oludaisi Elemide (APC-Odeda), the Speaker, agreed that there was an urgent need for the state to take steps to address the challenge of out-of-school children.
Elemide promised effective collaboration with UNICEF to restore the glory of education in the state.
“We are willing to partner, we want to improve the standard of education in our state,” he said. (NAN).
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