From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has tasked Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to take advantage of the recent declaration of financial autonomy for Local Government Areas (LGAs) to develop and improve the basic education system.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday at the training and sensitisation workshop for Education Secretaries in the 774 LGAs in Nigeria, beginning with those from the North Central region.
The UBEC boss said that, ideally, basic education is the responsibility of the LGAs, and with the recent decision of the Supreme Court securing their financial autonomy, the basic education system should enjoy additional funding and attention.
He said: “It is my expectation that, with the recent autonomy granted to LGAs in Nigeria, more responsibilities would be devolved to them with the possible direct disbursement of primary education funds through the LEAs.
“We are, therefore, taking advantage of this training to draw your attention to the dos and don’ts in managing UBE intervention funds. You should remember that the strength of our educational system, and indeed, the development of the nation at large, rests on the quality of primary education.
“Your role in basic education implementation is too crucial to be taken for granted. So, pay adequate attention to the training, ask relevant questions, and seek explanations on what you do not understand.”
The Director of Teacher Development at UBEC, Mr. Aleshin Olumuyiwa, in his remarks, said, “Over the years, the monitoring reports of the Teacher Development Programmes (TDP) have identified anomalies in the conduct of training, which include sending the wrong people for training and transferring teachers who have been trained to other schools shortly after training.
“These trained teachers are supposed to stay for a minimum of two years in their schools to give them the opportunity to share the knowledge and skills gained with their colleagues in the schools from where they were selected for training.
“This training is, therefore, to draw your attention to what is expected of you as Education Secretaries, especially as some of you were recently appointed to your present positions.”
He reminded them that they are the closest to the schools, which are the end receivers of the services of the Commission. “Your role of ensuring effective implementation of the UBE programme cannot be underestimated,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, appreciated the efforts of the LEAs in promoting basic education, which she described as the foundation of learning, and challenged the participants to double their efforts for improved outcomes.
She observed that at the primary education level, Nigeria is facing two major challenges in education delivery. “While we are grappling with the challenge of the large number of out-of-school children, there is also the problem of those in school who are not learning.
“Primary school education is today bedevilled by what is now popularly called ‘learning poverty’. Primary school children are performing below their capacity, and this must be ‘arrested’. There are ongoing programmes being implemented by different agencies under the Ministry of Education, which will require review, redirection and proper coordination.
“For example, there is a Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education whose mandate is to reduce the number of school-age children who are not attending school. The Ministry will continue to focus on improving factors that impact the quality of education delivery, such as teacher quality, school environment, availability of instructional materials, efficient school governance, and supervision.”
She assured the teachers that the federal government will remain committed to supporting the local and state governments in ensuring that the goal of the universal basic education programme is achieved in the shortest time possible.