Across section of experts have impressed on stakeholders the need to ensure effective monitoring of funds meant for the development and growth of the basic primary education at the grassroots.
These were part of the submissions made at a public forum in the uptown district of Ojo, in Lagos at the weekend.
The forum held under the auspices of the Human Development Initiatives (HDI) a nonprofit organisation in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation, according to Johnson Ibidapo, is part of the sensitisation programme and governance project aimed at strengthening government institutions in the education sector.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, Executive Director, HDI, Mrs. Olufunsho Owasonoye said her organisation was convinced that effective collaboration amongst the different stakeholders in the education subsector can go a long way in ensuring all-round development of the sector, especially basic primary education.
“We are all gathered here today because of education. We are looking at quality basic education and effective service delivery. We know that government cannot do it alone. And now we here to sensitise the community members to build their capacity about their own roles, about the existing measures concerning the monitoring of these projects which the government has put in place. We are trying to create awareness about that because the mass literacy programme of the federal government presupposes that all children must be in school. The next step for us is to create a monitoring group and encourage step down training, and appoint ambassadors amongst the community who will help to further propagate the message.”
Also commenting on the initiative, Mr. Tolani Sule, Executive Secretary, Ojo Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), observed that as an administrator in the education sector, such interface and discussion were some of the things required to encourage citizens’ engagement as far as development of the basic primary education is concerned. According to him, this kind of activity should not a one-off programme.
“In Lagos and every part of Nigeria, the schools belong to the community. Government may provide facilities, infrastructure, teachers but the management and maintenance and monitoring of these system would be better done when they are the community are involved. And this is bringing together all segments in the community including traditional rulers, community development associations, civil society organisations, traders, parents’ bodies, etc. Our stakeholders are now better informed about the need for them to be parts and parcel of the school development. The programme is going to have a lot of value to the community,” Sule emphasised.
The UBE programme is a nine year basic educational programme, launched and executed by the federal government to eradicate illiteracy, ignorance and poverty as well as stimulate and accelerate national development, political consciousness and national integration.