The Delta Government says it will arrest and prosecute parents or guardians of children of school age, who are found loitering on the street during school hours.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Asaba that the measure would start from the 2013/2014 academic session.
He said the development was part of the strategies put in place by the government to enforce compulsory education in the state.
He said, "From September, which will be the beginning of the 2013/2014 academic session, the already existing free education in the state will become compulsory and the government will also ensure that it is qualitative.''
Muoboghare insisted that parents who failed to take their children to school were deliberately planning to ruin the future of their children.
"What government is saying is that such parents or guardians will be punished,'' he said.
He also assured the residents that from September, no classroom in any public primary and secondary school in the state that would have more than 40 pupils.
Muoboghare said that the state had enough teachers to cope with students' population, adding that currently, the teacher-student ratio in public schools was 1 teacher to 21 students on the average.
The commissioner said the government would continue to support mission-owned schools with additional financial grants and intervention programmes.
He explained that the measure was to encourage the schools to meet and sustain the education standards designed by the government.
