The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has restated its commitment to grassroots mobilisation to promote safety, security and violence-free schools in Bauchi State.

This is contained in a statement by Adamu Sarkinyara, acting state director of the agency, on Friday in Bauchi.

Mr Sarkinyara said that a seven-point strategy involving CLHEEAN technology was introduced for anonymous reporting of bullying, cultism, drug abuse, and sexual and gender-based violence in schools.

He said that the state’s Safe School Steering Committee, constituted under the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools 2021, was also inaugurated on Thursday.

The director highlighted that safe schools were not about physical structures alone but also about values, community ownership and early warning.

Mr Sarkinyara stressed the need for effective synergy among stakeholders to guarantee children’s right to education.

“NOA is not a security agency but the bridge between government and grassroots, with permanent structures from federal, state and local levels,” he said.

He said that the committee adopted the policy on safe schools and its implementation guidelines as its working documents.

The director said that three subcommittees were constituted to be coordinated by the agency to ensure the effective implementation of the programme.

Mr Sarkinyara listed the committees as policy and guidelines, risk assessment and implementation monitoring, and community engagement, reporting and feedback.

He said that members of the committee also approved immediate risk and vulnerability mapping in Bauchi, Toro, Alkaleri, Ningi, Katagum and Jama’are Local Government Areas.

The exercise, he said, would be conducted in the six designated pilot local government areas in collaboration with the agency, Bauchi State Basic Education Board, the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“Approval was also given for the establishment of CLHEEAN Safe School Window as the official anonymous reporting framework for the state to be managed by NOA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and security agencies.

“The committee scheduled monthly meetings, and mandated NOA to produce 1,000 copies of Safe School 10 Commandments in Hausa and English Languages for 500 schools,” he said.

Mr Sarkinyara said that the agency would deploy its structure to ensure that no school was unsafe due to ignorance, drug abuse or violence. 

(NAN)