Insurgency kills 611 teachers, forces 19,000 to flee North-East, says UN

No fewer than 611 teachers were killed and 19,000 forced to flee the North-Eastern part of Nigeria between 2009 and 2015 due to insurgency, a UN official said.

Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, UN National Information Officer, made the disclosure in a media advisory made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Soremekun said that the advisory was on a report entitled: “Launch of the 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report in Nigeria” to be launched on Monday in Abuja.

“As of 2015 in Nigeria, where has targeted education workers and students, at least 611 teachers had been deliberately killed and 19,000 forced to flee since 2009.

“According to the report, between 2009 and 2015, attacks in North-Eastern Nigeria destroyed more than 910 schools and forced at least 1,500 to close and teachers are at risk.

“By early 2016, an estimated 952,029 school-age children had fled the violence. Teachers are at risk,’’ he quoted the report as saying.

Soremekun said that UNESCO and the Federal Ministry of Education would also organise a stakeholders’ forum on the implementation of Goal Four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He said that theme of the report is: “Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Futures for All’’.

The new Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report by UNESCO shows the potential for education to propel progress toward all global goals outlined in the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

According to the report, there is an urgent need for progress in education to speed up.

“On current trends, universal primary education in sub-Saharan Africa will be achieved in 2080, while universal lower secondary completion will be achieved in 2089.

“The universal upper secondary completion will be achieved in 2099.

“This will leave the region 70 years late for the 2030 SDGs deadline,” the report said.