Remove Nigeria’s Name Among ‘Learning Poverty’ Countries, Minister Urges SUBEB Chairmen

The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu has urged the States Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEBs) chairmen to review the current state of Basic Education in their various states to work towards ensuring that Nigeria is deleted among the “Learning Poverty ” countries.

Sununu was speaking at the 24th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with the Executive Chairmen of SUBEBs on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Minister stated that it was disheartening that despite the Federal Government’s huge investment, interventions and technical support, the basic education sub-sector in the country was still bedeviled with a lot of challenges.

“Learners sitting on bare floors, high rate of drop-outs, increased number of out-of-school children, poor infrastructure, dilapidated classroom buildings, inadequate learning facilities, unqualified teachers, inadequate monitoring, inequitable access and low learning outcomes which has resulted to the falling standard of education in our country,” he said.

Sununu stated that the implementation of basic education lies solely in the hands of the SUBEBs Chairmen and urged them to conduct a needs assessment of all schools in their domain with a renewed determination to justify the Federal Government’s huge investment in respective states.

“There is the need for the provision of more school infrastructure, adequate learning materials, employment of more qualified teachers, motivation for the teachers and ensuring all your schools are constantly monitored.

“The aforementioned would increase equitable access for all children in your state, improve literacy outcomes and strengthen your educational system,” he said.

Sununu stated that the SUBEB Chairmen must also ensure that every child in their respective state benefits from the free, universal and compulsory basic education regardless of sex, ethnic or religious backgrounds, language or status as this will reduce the incidence of out- of-school children syndrome.

“I charge you to eliminate every form of school charges so that learners from indigent homes can also access basic education and contribute their quota to nation building,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, stated that the quarterly meeting was aimed at deliberating on issues affecting the sub-sector and the way forward.

Bobboyi announced that the report of the 2022 National Assessment of Learning Achievements in Basic Education (NALABE)conducted across the country will be disseminated to the public as soon as possible.

The Executive Secretary added that UBEC is collaborating with relevant partners to achieve its mandate by doubling its efforts to create public awareness on the dangers of having large numbers of out-of-school children and providing platforms, structures and interventions.

The theme of the meeting is “Redefining National and State Priorities for Effective Basic Education Delivery.”