Out-Of-School Children: UBEC Constructs 51 Junior Secondary Schools In 17 States

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has established about 51 model Junior Secondary School/Vocational School in 17 beneficiary states under the World Bank-supported Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) project.

The project is geared towards reducing the number of out-of-school children in the country.

Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, who made this known on Wednesday during inspection visit to one of the schools, UBEC JSS/Vocational School (Government Secondary School) Suleja, Niger State, expressed satisfaction with the work done by the contractor.

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.

“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 explained.

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.