With the launch of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) School Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP) for Teacher Professional Development (TPD) and tackling the out-of-school syndrome, the Federal Government has matched words with action in a bid to deepen its reforms in the education sector. The programme, which is aimed at expanding access to education for school-age children, enhancing teachers’ capacity and creating an enabling environment for learning, underlines the commitment of the government to foster quality learning and also resonates with stakeholders in the education space, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE and VICTORIA AMADI report
Basic education, it needs to be emphasised, is quite pivotal to the all-round cognitive development of a child. A sound footing at the lower cadre gives learners added advantage as they move to advanced levels of learning.
Perhaps with this in mind, the Federal Government recently launched the Universal Basic Education (UBE) School Based Management Committee-School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP) to enhance teachers’ capacity, learning environment and increase access to education for school age children.
Alausa harps on new initiative
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, underscored the importance of the initiative, stressing that while it is designed to address the issue of out-of-school children and expand access to quality education for school-age children, on the other hand, it would also improve teachers through further training and ensure the learning environment is conducive.
Alausa noted that the teacher professional development programme aligned with the ministry’s goal of improving learning outcomes by strengthening teacher quality.
He said the programme would be funded through the Federal Government/UBE intervention fund. Alausa underlined the significance of collaboration in improving girl-child education and addressing the out-of-school syndrome.
“If girl-child education is to be advanced and if we are to eradicate or reduce the out-of-school syndrome, the government alone cannot tackle these challenges.
“It requires a synergy of efforts from all stakeholders, with the community playing a major role, to pave the way for achieving the expected outcomes,” he said.
Focus of the programme
The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting the UBEC’s 2025-2027 initiatives, which include the construction of 7,200 new UBE facilities and the provision of 1,680,000 furniture pieces.
“Additionally, the initiatives involve the extensive renovation of 195,000 classrooms, as well as the installation of 22,900 water boreholes and 28,000 toilets across schools,” he added.
The minister highlighted the pillars of the ministry of education renewal template, which include increasing enrolment, enhancing TVET to address skill gaps, advancing girl-child education, harnessing data and digitisation, and strengthening quality assurance to meet global standards.
The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, said though there was seven per cent increase in school enrollment over the past two to three years, the 13 million out-of-school children particularly in rural and low-income communities was disheartening.
She restated the government’s commitment to delivering equitable, quality education for every Nigerian child.
“Imagine a child in a community eager to learn, full of promise, yet held back by a lack of infrastructure, qualified teachers, learning materials, and a conducive learning environment.
“Today, we mark a defining milestone in our shared vision to deliver equitable, quality-based education for every Nigerian child and to rewrite that story.
“We gather to reaffirm our commitment to every Nigerian child. We are unleashing the promise of a nation.
“The promise that every Nigerian child, no matter their circumstances or location, deserves a solid start to life through quality-based education,” she said.
Stakeholders react
Nevertheless, stakeholders lauded the programme but advocated the buy-in or commitment of states and local governments.
Vice-Chancellor, African School of Economics (The Pan-African University of Excellence), Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, noted that the SBMC-SIP is a welcome and commendable development.
For the programme to succeed, Adedimeji said that it requires the commitment of states and local governments. According to him, they need to own it because that’s where the children are and should not just be seen as an Abuja affair.
He said: “The SBMC-SIP is a welcome and commendable development. I say so because any initiative that is aimed at addressing the out-of-school children conundrum is right on target.
“According to UNESCO, Nigeria has about 18.5 million children out of school, 60% of whom (that is more than 10 million) are girls. That’s more that the population of some African countries.
“The implications of this are grave because uneducated minds are potential time bombs or criminals. That was why Victor Hugo said a long time ago that he, who opens a school door, closes a prison.
“For the programme to succeed, it requires the buy-in or commitment of states and local governments. They have to own it because that’s where the children are. It is not to be seen as just an Abuja affair.
“After the buy-in of the states and local councils, the targeted children should be encouraged. Though education is free, they are still not in school. It means that governments have to do more by supporting their education through relevant books and even school uniforms. Investing in them at that stage is cheaper than dealing with the desperation that fuels terrorism, banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, ritual killing, etc. that ensnare the country. Sponsorship can be obtained from development partners and philanthropists.
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Then, there should be monitoring and evaluation to determine the progress being recorded. Desk Officers should be appointed across states and LGAs to coordinate the mobilisation of the children. Of course enlightenment campaigns have to be launched in that regard to let recalcitrant parents, guardians and the children themselves appreciate the value of education.”
Founder, Baiwa Foundation for Human Development, Dr. Ibrahim Mikailu, noted that community engagement is essential in improving education service delivery, adding that SBMC represents a good platform for achieving that.
“Accountability measures shall be put in place to ensure that school grants channelled through the SBMC are transparently utilised. Healthy competition should be instituted among SBMCs at school, local government and state levels,” he said.
National President of Association for Formidable Educational Development, Mr. Emmanuel Orji applauded the minister for the development. He advised that the initiative be strengthened with Teacher Professional Development (TPD).
“The minister, for me, is on the right track. The SBMC is not a fresh idea and the idea should be to strengthen it with additional emphasis on TPD. SBMC programme gives custody and ownership to the community and allows for express input from the schools’ immediate community, leading to an improved and healthy school community,” he said.
The AFED president added that the programme would be sustained through community engagement and partnerships, Teacher Professional Development, Community Engagement and Partnerships, Teacher Professional Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Innovative Approaches, Sustainability and Funding, Capacity Building for School Management Committees, Addressing Out-of-School Children and Improving Teaching and Learning Environment.
“Community Engagement and Partnerships would be achieved through fostering of strong community partnerships to increase access to education for out-of-school children, engagement with local leaders, parents, and stakeholders to promote the programme and encourage participation and collaboration with organisations like UNESCO to leverage resources and expertise.
“On Teacher Professional Development, there should be provision of regular training and capacity-building workshops for teachers on best practices, pedagogies, and technology integration, encouragement of peer mentoring and coaching to enhance teachers’ effectiveness and focus on their motivation and well-being to reduce turnover rate.
“The issue of out-of-school children can be addressed by identifying and targeting vulnerable populations, such as nomadic communities and children with disabilities, development of tailored programmes to address their unique needs and circumstances, while collaborating with relevant stakeholders to provide support services, like health and nutrition programmes.
“There should be establishment of clear performance indicators and metrics to track progress, conduct regular monitoring and evaluation exercises to identify areas for improvement and use data to inform decision-making and adjust programme strategies,” he said.
He sought the integration of technology, such as digital learning platforms and educational apps, to enhance teaching and learning, the promotion of innovative pedagogies, like project-based learning and inquiry-based learning, while encouraging community-based initiatives, such as literacy programmes and vocational training.
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA), through its National President, Dr. ‘Niyi Sunmonu also hailed the initiative. He noted that it aligns with the minister’s stated commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s education system through community participation, foundational learning improvement, and teacher capacity development, adding that it is critical to addressing the challenge of out-of-school children and enhancing quality in basic education.
“CONUA recognises this programme as a strategic component of the ‘Education for Renewed Hope’ agenda, particularly in its emphasis on decentralised school governance and grassroots engagement. The initiative also complements ongoing efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to institutionalise learning assessments and drive measurable improvements across all tiers of the education sector,” he said. Lauding this policy direction, CONUA emphasised the need for a clearly defined implementation framework to ensure its success.
CONUA highlighted key considerations to include: Institutionalisation and continuity by embedding the programme within existing education structures to prevent policy discontinuity after a political cycle of an administration, accountability mechanisms by establishing transparent monitoring and evaluation systems to track progress.
Chief Executive Officer Centre for Financial Journalism, Dr. Ray Echebiri, lauded the programme, adding that it broadens the management and governance framework of the schools. He noted that it is bound to engender accountability and transparency in the management of the schools because it allows all the key stakeholders to be involved in the management of the schools.
“Definitely, this will result in some improvement in the performance of the students. It is heartwarming that the SBMC-SIP is emphasising the training and retraining of teachers. This is a win-win because well-trained and highly skilled teachers are bound to impact the students and the communities more profoundly. But the government needs to fund the schools adequately. The schools can do with better infrastructure and teaching facilities. Without good funding, even the revised SBMCS will not lead to the desired improvement in the fortunes of the schools and learning outcomes,” he said.
