By Felix Khanoba
Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, on Wednesday called for concerted efforts to address the problem of out-of-school children in the country.
Bobboyi made the call during inspection visit to UBEC vocational school constructed in Government Secondary School, Suleja, Niger State, through the World Bank-backed Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) project.
While expressing satisfaction with the work done by the contractor, the UBEC boss said about 51 model Junior Secondary School/Vocational School have been established in the 17 beneficiary states of the BESDA scheme.
The AUTHORITY reports that BESDA is an intervention programme funded by the World Bank with the purpose of providing equitable access for out-of-school children, improve literacy and strengthen accountability for results at the basic education level.
The programme is currently being implemented in 17 States across the country which includes the entire 13 States of the North West and North East geo-political zones, Niger, Oyo, Ebonyi and Rivers States.
The UBEC boss charged the school management and the community to make good use of the facility, which he said was designed to ensure that graduates from Junior Secondary School have necessary skills that would help them in their future lives.
Bobboyi said: “I’m highly impressed by what I have seen, the work that was contracted out. We have come along with the school community to ensure that this project is delivered according to specification.
“We hope that it will be fully utilized by the school to ensure that our children have conducive environment to learn and acquire some skills that will help them in their future lives, especially this school being a Vocational Junior Secondary School.
“We have this in every Senatorial Zone in the 17 BESDA states. You remember BESDA came to address a particular problem, the issue of out-of-school children. Out of the 17 BESDA states, you have one of this school in every Senatorial district like the one you have here in Suleja.
He noted that UBEC is providing additional infrastructure that would help the state governments through the States Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) to ensure more children are enrolled in schools as well as the functionality that is required for effective teaching and learning.
He disclosed that each of the JSS/Vocational School is equipped with computer lab, laboratories, e-library, workshops and well furnished classrooms to give students good learning experience.
Bobboyi who noted that the school has been handed over to the Niger state government, added that UBEC would collaborate with the state government to ensure that routine maintenance is carried out regularly.
According to him, the Commission would ensure that the cost of maintenance is included in the action plan each state is bringing to UBEC to access their matching grant after payment of counterpart fund.
He insisted that delivery of functional basic education in Nigeria has to be partnership, saying there was no way the Federal Government would sit in Abuja and address all issues in basic education.
