According to Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights on education, the Universal Basic Education Commission, or UBEC, has committed to working to raise the primary and secondary school completion rates.
Stating this yesterday during her first meeting with management and staff of the commission, the new Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said the report from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is not encouraging, hence the need for a decisive measure.
She stated: “In 2020, Nigeria’s primary school completion rate was 51% for girls and 59% for boys, according to UNICEF.” At 42% for boys and 36% for girls, the secondary school completion rate is significantly lower.
“These are figures we should all be concerned about if we are to build a successful and productive society; the reason we must hit the ground running to change this status of basic education in the country.”
Garba added that to fight the scourge, multi-sectoral approach will be adopted to address the demand and supply-side constraints to basic education which has continued to intensify the challenge of out of school children.
She underlined that the implementation of suitable interventions, the use of technology, the building of vital infrastructure, and the improvement of educational facilities will all be included in the main action plans.
On another level, she said the commission would work with local government education authorities and community stakeholders in expanding access to basic education in rural, disadvantaged and hard-to-reach jurisdictions, as well as work closely with state governors to increase the uptake and utilisation of the UBEC matching grants through strategic partnerships and engagement.
“We will ensure the integration of children with special needs, promote education for the girl-child, and work with relevant partners to make schools safe and conducive for learning.
“We will work collaboratively with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Commissions and Development Partners on reforms and interventions to increase access and significantly reduce the high number of out of school children in Nigeria,” she said.
In teaching, she said appropriate instructional materials that fully aligns with curriculum and improve foundational learning for early grades would be a priority as well as training programs that equip teachers with up-to-date technology, innovative teaching and pedagogical practices that will ensure that teachers are well-prepared to inspire and educate the next generation.
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Garba added that the commission will work closely with states to domesticate the “Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act” by improving school infrastructure with emphasis on making these facilities accessible to children with disabilities.
Our goal is to make sure that the facilities in elementary and junior secondary schools meet the needs of every student, with a focus on making them accessible and suitable for kids with disabilities. I will assist the implementation of pre-primary and early childhood education working together with communities, the organized private sector and key stakeholders.”
