The Senate, on Wednesday, June 5 sought an increase in the penalty paid by parents who fail to enroll their children in school.

Lawmakers in the upper chamber want the penalty paid by defaulting parents raised from N2,500 to N250,000.

The Senate also passed a Bill for an Act to amend the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act through second reading.

The bill moved by Senator IDIAT ADEBULE sought to review the law to ensure that a key provision in the UBE Act that empowers the Local Education Authority within the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory to prosecute parents who deny their wards the right to basic education is implemented.

The bill proposed an amendment to increase penalties for defaulting parents from 2,500 to 250,000 naira.

The unanimously supported bill scales second reading and was referred to the Committee on Education, Basic and Secondary to report back in two weeks.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are about 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, a figure that government officials have disputed.