The Niger state government on Tuesday said that it is partnering with UNICEF to eliminate corporal punishment in public and private schools across the state.

Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, said this during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

Aliyu made this known after inaugurating a one day stakeholders sensitisation on the dissemination of findings of the UNICEF on School Related Gender Based Violence.

It also focused on the research and implementation of the policy to abolish corporal punishment in public and private schools in the state.

He said that eliminating corporal punishment in schools would encourage the enrollment of children in school, especially girl-child.

“In keeping pace with the facts of the finding of the research, Niger state Ministry of Education, while recognising the negative implication of violence against children in school on enrollment, retention and completion issued a circular to all public and private primary and secondary schools abolishing corporal punishment,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary urged the key stakeholders in the education sector to understand the implication of violence and work collectively to prevent the menace toward better education for children.

“I charge you all as advocates to ensure that the policy statement on the abolishment of corporal punishment is implemented not only in our schools but our corporate lives,” he said.

Also, Mr Francis Elisha, Education Officer UNICEF, Kaduna field office said that the UNICEF was supporting the state government to implement the programme.

Elisha said that it is expected that the stakeholders, policy makers and implementers would be committed to implementing the policy.

Malam Ahmed Jaafar, Principal, Father “O” Connel Science College, Minna called on government to establish more schools to decongest existing crowded classrooms.

“There is need for a teacher to know his pupils or students one on one to enable him inculcate good morals in them,” he said.

The stakeholders included the state Ministry of Education, State Universal Basic Education Board, Nigeria Union of Teachers, private schools and journalists. (NAN)