Provision of Universal Basic Education to the Internally Displaced

Children: Case of North Eastern Nigeria

Onwuasoanya Bridget1 , Ejezie Christiana1, Moneke Micheal2

(1. Faculty of Education, Tansian University Umunya, Anambra State, Nigeria;

2. Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria)

Abstract: A good number of children in Nigeria, especially in the north earthen states are forcibly displaced, as a result of insurgency. Since year 2009 when the Boko Haram insurgency started in Nigeria, more than a million school children are out of school in the north eastern Nigeria. Distinctive challenge facing internally displaced children (IDC) is access to the right to basic education. This paper, therefore, examined the strategies that could be adopted by the federal government in the provision of universal basic education to the IDC in the north eastern Nigeria. This was done through the opinions of teachers and administrative staff from the state universal basic education board (SUBEB) of the three states that make up northern Nigeria. Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The sample was 144 respondents. A 23 itemed researcher developed questionnaire was the instrument for data collection for the study. Results amongst others show that government should recruit qualified and passionate teachers, introduce mobile learning centres, release adequate fund for daily running of the schools, involve private sector and stake holders in funding schools, instructional material adequately supplied, children could be transferred to other states and piloting safe school models.

Key words: provision, basic education, internally displaced, North Eastern Nigeria