A Bill that would impose fines on parents who don’t enrol their kids in primary and secondary school education has passed the Senate’s first reading with Senator Orji Kalu, sponsoring the Bill, which is known as the “Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004 amendment.
Section 2 of the Bill states that, Every kid of primary and junior secondary school age must receive free, universal, and mandatory basic education, according to the bill’s provisions. It requires all parents to make sure their children or wards attend elementary school and finish their junior secondary education.
The Bill also suggests penalties for parents who break the law. If convicted a second time, the penalty is N2,000 in fines, one month in jail, or both. If convicted a third time, the penalty is N5,000 in fines, two months in jail, or both. The Red Chamber’s legislators changed the legislation, suggesting an increase in the fines that defaulters must pay.
The revised section read as follows: “N2,000 is deleted from Section (4)(b) of the Principal Act and replaced with N20,000. The Principal Act is changed by inserting N50,000 in place of N5,000 in Section (4)(c). The Principal Act is changed by striking out N10,000 and substituting N100,000.
The Bill further specifies that “every parent shall ensure that his child receives full-time education suitable to his age, ability, and aptitude by regular attendance at schools” . The approval of this measure represents an important step towards ensuring that every Nigerian has access to education.