Minister of State for Education Ezenwo Nyesom Wike yesterday promised that the Federal Government would improve enrollment of the girl-child in schools.

Wike, who spoke at the 12th Girls’ Child National Steering Committee Meeting in Abuja,  noted that the country is committed to achieving universal primary and junior secondary education to eliminate gender disparity.

He said the education of the girl-child is critical to national development because of its  effect on the nation.

According to him: “The Federal Government is determined to ensure parity in our education system, equity and access has been chosen as one of the priority areas in the  Ministry of Education’s four- year plan.

He said: “For the country to achieve all its targets in education and social sector development, there is need for collaboration of all stakeholders.”

He said the second phase of the Girl-Child Education Project has been successful.

Wike said: “The drop-out syndrome of girls/boys from schools is being seriously addressed through the rehabilitation of our schools and advocacy visits to states to sensitise planners and ensure adequate community participation, especially the…………… continues on The Nation Newspaper

Geoffrey Canada comes to Kansas City Thursday, into a community that has invoked his name in the pursuit of millions of public and private dollars.

He’s used to it.

The executive director of the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York finds himself an icon in U.S. cities’ struggles to raise up their most desperate neighborhoods through cradle-to-college services for their neediest children.

The encouraging part of it, he said by phone, is that “communities are coming together around education and children issues. There is not a city I go into that isn’t having serious discussions.”

The discouraging part?

“Partisan debate and posturing,” he said.

The catch is that the Harlem Children’s Zone’s strategy is expensive, all-encompassing and demanding of community resources. The program, which started in 1997, now serves more than 8,000 children and their families in 100 city blocks. It brings school systems, social workers, housing managers, health clinics under a unified, well-supported umbrella.

“This takes a serious investment,” Canada said. “It requires communities to have real resources.”

Canada is speaking at the “Saving Kansas City’s Sixth Child” luncheon Thursday at Westin Crown Center in support of the Kansas City summer Freedom Schools. The luncheon’s title recognizes that one in six U.S. child…………… continues on STLtoday.com