Mrs. Ozavize Salami, Executive Chairman of Edo State Universal Basic Education (EdoSUBEB), says the state has begun a disarticulation policy as a measure to get a more educated youth population.

Salami said this on Wednesday in Benin City at the South-West media dialogue on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lagos State Directorate in collaboration with UNICEF.

Salami said the initiative was to ensure that affordable basic education was extended to the JSS 3 class, even though the state has not fully practised the system.

“We are actually looking at the transition number in this regard, because it is not sufficient to stop a child at primary six just like that.

“At the end of the normal six years of primary school education, the number of children that move on and graduate at JSS 3 drops by at least 50 per cent.

“The idea now is to keep the children in compulsory education for longer, although it will cost the state more. But in the long run, we will have a more educated youth population.

“This is with the understanding that education may mean more educated youths who are skilled and valuable to their environment and understanding that Edo was popular for illegal migration and search for better prospects.

“If they (those involved in illegal migration) were educated, they will understand that there will be better options to stay in Nigeria,” she said.

The SUBEB Chairman hinted that there would be changes in the location of schools as it were at the full implementation of the disarticulation policy.

“The junior and senior secondary schools will co-habit in the same compound.”

NAN reports that disarticulation is a medical terminology which means the separation of two bones at their joint.

This is done either traumatically by way of injury or by a surgeon during arthroplasty or amputation.

Salami pointed out that programmes such as “Kwara Learn”, “Eko Excel” and “Bayelsa Prime” being implemented in some states across the country were adopted from the “EdoBEST” initiative.

She added that Edo remains the first state accelerator in Nigeria due to its verifiable data and successes recorded in foundational literacy development.