19,207 Lagos pupils counselled in one year — Commissioner

About 19,207 pupils have been counselled by the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in the past one year under its School Social Service Unit.

The Ministry's Commissioner, Enitan Oshodi, revealed this at the weekend during a ministerial press briefing, The Nation reports.

Oshodi, who was represented by his Permanent Secretary, Dr Adesegun Oshinyimika, said the School Social Service Unit counselled 1,754 pupils on truancy, 7,464 on sex education, 6,470 for abscondment/teenage pregnancy, 2,399 for anti-social activities and four (4) for sexual abuse.

“The objectives of the unit include stemming the wave of crimes now prevalent among our school population; identifying and reducing the incident of truancy, petty stealing, cigarettes and hemp smoking among school children and working towards reducing school drop outs by taking prompt action on matters relating to problems of students," he said.

According to the Commissioner, some of the cases were referred to family courts while the affected pupils were supervised and aided to settle down at the home and school fronts.

Oshinyimika said the Social Service Unit provides services that strengthen homes, schools and the community.

The Ministry also trained 1,132 youths in various vocations and rehabilitated 574 others at its youths centres.