‘Literacy key to peace’

The Chief Executive Officer of Universal Learning Solutions, Gary Foxcroft, has said that literacy is the key to peace.
Foxcroft, whose non-governmental organisation (NGO) is based in the United Kingdom and Nigeria, made the declaration to mark the Day of the African Child.
While calling on the federal government to focus more on the need to promote literacy as a means to ensure peace and stability, with a view to mitigating the impact of armed conflict on children in Nigeria.
“While we welcome the recent announcement that the federal government will be recruiting 500,000 teachers to improve the quality of education in Nigeria, there is still a glaring need for the teachers to be trained in effective literacy methods, such as Jolly Phonics,” Foxcroft stated.
His NGO, he explains, is able to offer this support to the government freely and believes that it is essential if they are to ensure that pupils leave school functionally literate.
“Until this fundamental problem is addressed, especially in the Northern states, conflict and instability is unfortunately likely to persist. We therefore call upon the government to grasp this unique opportunity to transform literacy levels and help make Nigeria a more peaceful place for children to grow,” he said.
On June 16, 1976, between 10 and 20,000 South African school children walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium in Soweto, peacefully protesting for better standards in education and the right to be taught in their own language. For hundreds, this act of defiance against the Apartheid regime was their last: police opened fire on the students and released dogs into the crowd causing pandemonium and loss of lives, with over 1,000 people injured. This event is remembered throughout Africa today as the Day of the African Child, which this year was observed on Thursday under the theme, ‘Conflict and Crisis in Africa: Protecting all Children’s Rights’.