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Tag: UBEC

  • UBEC digitalises quality assurance evaluation in schools

    UBEC digitalises quality assurance evaluation in schools

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has simplified the process of quality assurance evaluation in public primary and junior schools across Nigeria by adopting digitalised approach to the exercise called ‘UBECOLLECT.’

     Acting Director, Quality Assurance department of UBEC, Mr. Alabi Asaju, said the initiative was a unique paradigm shift from the old approach, which, according to him, was more focused on school personnel than learners, with attendant consequences of not considering the variables affecting learners’ performance and teachers’ delivery.

     Speaking in Ibadan during his visit to some schools in Oyo State, Asaju said UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, in his quest for more transparent and valid conduct of the exercise, initiated the use of electronic gadgets for the conduct of quality assurance in schools, to correct the lapses of manual approach to the exercise.

    Read Also: N100b investment in basic education inadequate, says UBEC 

    He said: “The importance of inspection, monitoring and evaluation on the educational system of any country cannot be overemphasised. This is because, it avails the implementers as well as policy makers, the level of compliance to set standards and learners proficient performance in school curricular, co and extracurricular activities. It also helps in providing solution for lingering issues hindering effective delivery and quality learner outcomes.

    “The role of school supervisors or inspectors in the education system is as old as education system itself. Years ago, school inspectors were highly recognised and reckoned with in any educational issue. But, be as good as it was then; the school inspectors focused mainly on the employees (school personnel), not the learners. The process was more of fault-finding and did not provide avenue for feedback mechanisms for the ‘inspectee’.

    “Its major disadvantage is that, it did not put into consideration the intervening variables affecting learners’ performance and teachers’ delivery. These disadvantages among other things call for a paradigm shift from the traditional school inspection to a more holistic approach otherwise known as quality assurance.”

  • UBEC trains 30 smart school personnel in Oyo

    UBEC trains 30 smart school personnel in Oyo

    The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), through its Digital Resource Centre (DRC) is training 30 teachers and other personnel for smooth take-off of the Smart Model School in Sogunro, Akinyele, Ibadan.

    The training was designed to equip the personnel with requisite skills for commencement of operations during the third term 2023/2024 academic session in the state.

    Speaking while leading a monitoring team to the Smart School, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Oyo State, Prof. Abdulwaheed Adelabu said the training focused on blended learning techniques and information and communication technology (ICT) skill sets, with resource persons from Universities, Polytechnics, and colleges of education serving as trainers.

    Adelabu charged them to pay attention to the training, adding that they will also train other teachers in the use of the skills acquired.

    In another development, the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board has begun the quarter-final stage of the Governor Seyi Makinde Basic Education School Sports Competition in the eight educational zones of the state from September 19 and 29th, 2023.

    According to the Executive Secretary, OyoSUBEB, Mr. Jacob Dairo the Board, with the support of UBEC kick-started the competition among schools in June 2023.

    The competition, which features athletics, Soccer, handball and table tennis, was played in group stages, across the educational zones, namely Ibarapa, Iseyin, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Saki, Irepo, Ibadan main and less city zones.

    Dairo said the third-place, semi-final, and finals of the competition will be played in Ibadan after the ongoing elimination stage.

    He said the finals, where the winner would represent the state in the national competition, would hold at the refurbished Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, on September 29th, 2023.

    Dairo added that the basic school pupils participating are in high enthusiasm and have exhibited brilliant performances.

    He said all the public basic schools in the state enrolled and are taking part in the four selected games.

    According to him, “We gladly inform our parents and dear stakeholders that our basic school sports has been scheduled to commence on September 19, 2023. 

    “With the huge support we have received from the Federal Government and the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration, we believe it will be a successful event,” he said.

    Read Also: Out-of-school kids: Nigeria needs 20,000 more schools, 907,769 classrooms, says UBEC

    “We started with an elimination stage across the educational zones, namely Oyo, Ibarapa Ogbomoso, Iseyin, Saki, Irepo, Ibadan less city and Ibadan main city. 

    “Afterwards, we will play the final of the competition on September 29, where a winner who will represent Oyo State in the Nationals will emerge,” he said.

    Dairo thanked Governor Seyi Makinde for approving the reintroduction of school sports in the state after over a decade and the tremendous support he had given the basic education sub-sector.

    He also thanked UBEC and the schools service department for putting up a satisfactory and impressive preparation so far.

  • Out-of-school kids: Nigeria needs 20,000 more schools, 907,769 classrooms, says UBEC

    Out-of-school kids: Nigeria needs 20,000 more schools, 907,769 classrooms, says UBEC

    The Federal Government has said the country needs additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms to absorb the growing number of out-of-school children.

    The government announced the figures through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, said the UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, spoke on the development while briefing Education Minister, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the Minister of State, Dr. Yusuf Sununu.

    In September 2022, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said about 20 million school-aged Nigerian children were out-of-school, making the country one of those with the highest figures in the world.

    The executive secretary identified infrastructural gaps and inadequate manpower as some of the challenges facing the commission in its efforts to ensure equitable access to quality basic education.

    Mamman said the ministry under his watch would prioritise basic education in the country.

    Read Also: Tinubu at UNGA: Nigeria welcomes true partnership

    The minister said the foundation level was the most critical segment in the sector that must be properly developed in order to impact positively other tiers of the sector and overall national development.

    He urged all the states to show greater commitment towards providing counterpart funding to accelerate the development of basic education in the country.

    Mamman said President Bola Tinubu’s administration would ensure that every Nigerian child gets onboard the modern ship of education.

    He said the forthcoming National Census would end the controversies surrounding the actual figures of the number of out-of-school children in the country. 

    Also, Dr. Sununu said all hands must be on deck to ensure that Nigerian children get the desired education to prepare them for the future.

    He directed Bobboyi to take the struggle for counterpart funding to the doorsteps of state governors, stressing that an uneducated child is a clear danger to himself and the society.

  • Ex-UBEC staff member beats 46-yr-old wife to death over s3x

    Ex-UBEC staff member beats 46-yr-old wife to death over s3x

    A man in Adamawa State has been embroiled in trouble for allegedly beating his wife to death.

    Aminu Mahdi, a 63-year-old former staff of Adamawa State Universal Basic Education Board, was arrested for allegedly beating up the wife, Hadiza, till she died, allegedly because she would not let him sleep with her.

    Aminu who hails from Yelwa Ward in Mubi North Local Government Area, allegedly descended on 46-year-old Hadiza who was his second wife, after she reacted to his persistent quest for her body by raising a stick against him.

    Read Also: Tinubu appoints 32-yr-old Halilu as NASENI CEO

    The suspect, making a confession to the Police, said he did not intend that his wife would die.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, disclosed this in an interview Friday. He said that Aminu returned home at 9:00pm last Sunday, August 27, to meet the circumstances that culminated in his wife’s death.

    Nguroje said “after Aminu ate his food and changed his clothes, he went to meet his wife in her room, but she denied him the use of her bed, and upon his insistence, the wife started hitting him with a stick, but he seized the stick and beat her up repeatedly. The beating became severe and the wife died eventually.”

    According to Nguroje, the man has expressed regret about his action, saying he did not expect that his wife would die.

    Nguroje has, however, warned members of the public to beware of how they handle domestic disagreement, stressing that Aminu would face due process of the law.

  • UBEC funds: Ahmed criminally neglected schools, says AbdulRazaq

    Kwara State Government has accused former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s administration of criminal neglect of schools through its alleged diversion of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq revealed that UBEC blacklisted the state because Ahmed’s administration mismanaged the N1.5 billion grant meant to upgrade schools in Kwara in 2013.

    Ahmed refuted claims that his administration mismanaged UBEC counterpart funds.

    A statement issued by his spokesman, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, absolved his administration of any wrongdoing regarding the management of UBEC funds.

    He maintained that the federal agency cancelled a N2 billion grant to the state when the government borrowed from the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) its 50 per cent counterpart fund of N1.5 billion for the payment of salaries at the height of the 2015 economic recession, which prevented most states from meeting salary obligations to workers.

    But, AbdulRazaq’s administration described the former governor’s response to the allegations as misplaced.

    In a statement, Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, said: “The last administration cannot be forgiven for the criminal neglect of the schools because the consequences are there for all to see.”

    The statement added that Ahmed’s response to the outrage greeting the diversion of N1.5 billion UBEC funds has raised more questions on the sordid neglect of public schools under him.

    Read Also: Kwara gets N4.2bn federal allocation for June

    Ajakaye added that the former governor’s statement that claims that funds weren’t diverted or mismanaged hold no water in the face of revelations from UBEC and the decrepit state of schools.

    The government said the mismanagement was apparent in Kwara ranking 37th – or the lowest – on the list of UBEC Matching Grant Disbursement Performance as at April 30, 2019.

    The government said Ahmed’s claim that his government used the N1.5 billion to pay workers’ salary was untenable and fishy for an administration that received N22 billion Paris Club refund and additional N3.4 billion bailout funds that were meant to help states pay workers when federal allocation dropped.

    “As at April 30, 2019, Kwara has the worst rating under the UBEC Matching Grant Disbursement Performance! This is a written record. This is the legacy of the former governor and the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) administration in Kwara State,” the statement said.

    It added: “The former governor claimed he was unaware that Kwara was blacklisted. This is false. The diversion of the N1.5 billion UBEC funds and the decision of the agency to bar the state from further dealings until diverted sums were paid is nothing but official blacklisting of Kwara State.

    “UBEC officials made it clear that they investigated Kwara’s claim that it used the funds to pay workers and found the same to be false. The investigations, they said, showed that the money was diverted. The UBEC position is further corroborated by the fact that at least 49 school projects captured under the fund were either abandoned or not started at all.”

  • Only 57% of basic education teachers are qualified -UBEC

    The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi has revealed that only 57 per cent of the nation’s basic education teachers are qualified.

    He also said that there was an increase from 841,716 in 2008 to 1.5 million in 2018 in the population of the teachers.

    He spoke in Kaduna yesterday in a speech entitled, “State of Basic Education in Nigeria: Prospect and Challenges”.

    The UBEC boss said that the percentage represented a decline from 76 per cent in 2008 to 57 per cent in 2018. He said that in spite of the huge investment in the sector, basic education was still characterised by poor learning outcomes, unqualified teachers and acute infrastructure deficit among others.

    Read also: Lack of dedicated teachers, major challenge facing education

    He also expressed concern over the increasing rate of enrollment in basic schools, which he said was not proportional to the available infrastructure and funding.

    “For example, enrolment in preprimary school (Early Child Care Development Education) has increased from 2.1 million in 2006 to 2.7 million in 2010 and skyrocket to 7.2 million in 2018, representing 167 per cent increase. Also, enrolment in primary schools, which declined from 24.2 million in 2006 to 21.9 million in 2010, equally increased to 27.9 million in 2018, indicating a 27 per cent increase.

    The story was no different in Junior Secondary schools where enrolment also increased from 3.6 million in 2006 to 4.6 million in 2010 and further increased to 6.8 million in 2018, representing 49 per cent increase.

    He also said that enrollment in public primary schools constituted 83 per cent in contrast with 17 per cent in private primary schools. He equally said that junior secondary schools had 79 per cent enrollment as against 21 per cent in private junior secondary schools in the country.

    According to him, the scenario shows that government has greater responsibility of proving quality education to the Nigerian children to enable them to live a meaningful and productive life in the future.

     

  • FG to prosecute parents who refuse to enroll children in school – Minister

    The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu says Nigeria will soon effect policy to prosecute parents who refused to enroll their children of school age in schools across the country.

    Adamu made this known in Abuja on Monday while addressing newsmen during the 9th edition of the Weekend Ministerial briefing.

    He said parents who sabotage the efforts of the government at reducing the number of out of school children would soon be criminalised and would be made to face the wrath of the law.

    “Unless the issue of parents who refused their children going to school is made a crime, and we start jailing parents, the menace of out of school children will not be resolved.

    “There are many who are still working behind culture, religion.

    “So the ministry is to effect this policy so that any parent whose child of school age refuses to take them to school will be jailed,’’ he said.

    Speaking on matching grant and other intervention funds for basic education in Nigeria, the minister said a total of N350 billion had been expended on the sub-sector as against N360 billion spent by the previous administration.

    “In the six years preceding the Buhari Administration, between 2009 and 2014, the Federal Government spent about N360 billion worth of intervention on Basic Education covering textbooks, teacher professional development, construction of classrooms and library resources among others.’’

    Adamu added that in 2015, matching and non-conditional grants disbursements to 15 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory amounted to N68.4 billion.

    He also said that in 2016, grants disbursements to 29 states and the FCT amounted to N77 billion.

    According to him, in 2017 the Federal Government provided a total of N95billion to 24 states and the FCT, and another N109 billion to 20 states and the FCT.

    “During the four year under review, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari provided a total grant to include, Matching grants, Educational imbalance fund, Special Educational fund and Good Performance fund.

    “Others are Instructional Materials funds, Teacher Professional Development fund, as well as Universal Basic Education  Commission (UBEC ) Implementation and Monitoring funds across geo-political zones as attached.’’

    Adamu emphasised that corruption and lack of political will from State governments were among other reasons responsible for collapse of basic education across the states.

    “Having come to this painful conclusion, the Federal Government decided to deduct from source, part of the last tranche of the Paris Club refund from all the states that have not been able to access their monies from (UBEC).

    “If this attitude of deliberate refusal on the part of states to provide counterpart funding for basic education continues, then the Federal Government will have no choice than to sustain its strategy of deducting counterpart funding of states percentage from source.’’

    Adamu added that stakeholders were awaiting the decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on reduction of matching grants for state governments.

    “We have already submitted proposal on the reduction of matching grants and we believe between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of the matching grant will be reduced as against the 50 per cent that states have been claiming is difficult to provide,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • We‘ve made progress in releasing funds to states, says UBEC

    THE Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) at the weekend said it had made progress in releasing funds to states for the provision of the needed infrastructure in public primary and secondary schools.

    Its Executive Secretary, Hamid Bobboyi, said most states in the Northeast, Northwest and Southwest have successfully accessed some of the funds with the commission.

    Bobboyi, spoke with reporters in Abuja, explained that some states in the Southeast were yet to access funds with the commission since 2014 because of the issue of matching grant.

    He said: “For 2017, a lot of progress has been made. You find the Northeast making a lot progress in terms of accessing their funds. About four out of the six states have accessed their entire funds. Others could not access it for technical reasons.

    “You have the Southwest that is now coming in full force to access the entire amount that they have. Some of them have paid for 2018 but without necessarily coming to access them.

    “The Northwest has also made a lot of progress. The states have realised the importance. But, there are still some worrisome aspects.

    There are some states that have not accessed their funds since 2014.

    He said the Federal Government has released N71.3 billion from the Paris Club refund to the commission to ensure the provision of infrastructure in public primary and secondary schools.

    The executive secretary stated that the commission would disburse the money to states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in three months’ time to begin the rebuilding work.

    Bobboyi said apart from the Paris Club refund, the commission would disburse another N71.3 billion, which is the marching grant for states and the FCT, to make a total of N142.6 billion to be spent on rebuilding public primary and secondary schools.

    The UBEC secretary said: “The Federal Government will credit the account of UBEC with about N71.3 billion. We are going to add the marching grants and so in the next few months, the states are going to get a total of N142.6 billion. The money is to ensure the provision of needed facilities in public primary and junior secondary schools in the country.

    “The N71.3 billion was deducted by the Federal Government from the Paris Club Refund accrued to states and the other N71.3 billion would come from the marching grants from UBEC. By the next three, four months or at most five months, we will have no un-accessed funds in UBEC.”

  • UBEC to release N142.5 billion to states

    •Nigeria losing out on literate, skilled workforce, says UNICEF

    THE Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) will be disbursing N142.58 billion to support educational growth in states, Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu said yesterday.

    Adamu spoke in Kaduna at the opening of a two-day Northern Nigeria Traditional Leaders Conference on Out-of-School Children.

    The conference was organised by Federal Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education Commission, National Commission for Mass Education and Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

    He also said the World Bank had between 2016 and now issued $611 million credit facility to support states with higher number of out-of-school children.

    “The Federal Government had equally deducted N71.292 billion from Paris Club Refund, as outstanding UBEC counterpart fund owed by states as at August 2018.

    “Such financial support to state through UBEC and Tertiary Education Trust Fund and other initiatives would be sustained,” he said.

    Adamu called on relevant stakeholders to join hands in tackling the root causes of out-of-school children.

    “We must provide our children with the needed knowledge and skills to realise their potentials and contribute to the development of our dear nation,” he added.

    The minister thanked the northern traditional leaders and relevant stakeholders for coming together to express collective commitment to addressing the phenomenon of out-of-school children.

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai also expressed concern on the increasing number of out-of-school children in the North.

    According to him, a collective commitment of the stakeholders would go a long way in turning the disturbing educational indices in the North and the country at large.

    El-Rufai, who was represented by Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prof. Kabiru Mato,  said his administration is working to address the situation in the state.

    Deputy Secretary General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Prof. Salisu Shehu called for adequate funding to the education sector, and more sensitisation of parents and care-givers to send their children to school.

    Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral and Political Party Matters Dr. Aishatu Dukku noted that much needed to be done given the state of education in the North.

    Dukku, a former education minister, said engaging traditional leaders was key to encouraging people to embrace Islamic and western education in the region.

    Nigeria is losing out on a literate and skilled workforce it needs to grow economically due to huge number of out-of-school children, according to UNICEF.

    Deputy Representative UNICEF Nigeria Pernille Ironside said the Federal Ministry of Education and other government records put the figure of out-of-school children aged 6-14 at 10.5 million.

    “Other sources say the number of out-of-school children is higher, but the focus should not be on the precise number, but on boys and girls in communities, who lose out on education and better livelihoods.

    “The affected children lose out on hope and the future they can have for themselves, their families, their communities and their country.

    “Nigeria needs to leap frog to bring more children into education and into learning through partnerships and collective actions,” he said.

    UBEC Executive Secretary Dr. Hamid Bobboyi described the menace of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria as a catastrophe to the growth and survival of the region.

    Bobboyi, who was represented by Deputy Executive Secretary Services Dr. Yakubu Gambo, also said the situation was a cancerous phenomenon, which if not addressed, would lead to the collapse of the entire region.

    He assured participants of UBEC commitment in pursuing any agenda that targets the eradication of the out-of-school children menace and advance educational growth.

    Dr. Sa’ad Abububakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto said children education was the foundation for economic growth of any society.

    Abubakar identified the contribution of traditional leaders as key in the struggle towards providing qualitative and functional education to children, particularly in the northern part of the country.

    He called for a change of attitude by parents and urged relevant stakeholders to live up to their responsibilities of educating their children.

  • Kaduna SUBEB to spend N337.19m on teacher training in 2018

    Kaduna SUBEB to spend N337.19m on teacher training in 2018

    Amidst crisis over the quality of teachers in public schools, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board ( SUBEB ) plans to spend N337.19 million on teacher training in 2018.

    The figure is contained in the state’s 2018 budget obtained from the state Planning and Budget Commission.

    The state has recently sacked about 22, 000 primary school teachers over poor performance, generating protest and strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers.

    It indicated that, “N337.19 million was earmarked for leadership and capacity training for school head teachers and assistants; jolly phonics training for 1,200 teachers and training of 200 Almajiri school teachers on literacy and numeracy skills.

    “Others are training on use of Teachers Guide; training of 230 care givers on pre-primary curriculum; training of class teachers on reading methodology and post training impact survey.

    Read also: Kwara SUBEB to upgrade 70-year old school

    “70 associate counsellors from the 23 local government areas will be trained on strategies for effective counselling skills in basic education; and training of 100 quality assurance evaluators.

    “Other training includes evaluators and principals workshop on evaluating and student learning; evaluating and tracking student; workshop on coordination, monitoring and reporting and impact assessment on training of inclusive education teachers on Braille and sign language.”

    The board has a total budget of N6.93 billion out of which N6.75 billion was for capital N184.52 million for recurrent expenditure.

    This represents 100 per cent increase from the N3.36 billion allocated to the board for capital and recurrent expenditure in the 2017 budget.

    A breakdown of the figure shows that N3.53 billion would be spent on the construction of classrooms, offices and toilets for primary schools, while N1.89 billion was for building classrooms and laboratories in junior secondary schools.

    The board would also spend N15.1 million on the construction of Early Child Care Development Education games village in nine primary schools in nine local government areas.

    It indicated that N821.27 million would go into procurement of furniture, materials for skills acquisition, teaching and learning aids, computers, magnetic boards, mattresses, sporting and instructional materials.

    “N143.58 million was allocated for monitoring and supervision of projects, while N13.06 million was for maintenance of project monitoring vehicles.”

    The state would receive the 2016 Universal Basic Education Commission ( UBEC ) Special Education Intervention fund amounting to N6.38 billion during the year.

    It would also receive N340.87 from UBEC Intervention on Teachers’ Professional Development and N32.72 million from the Inclusive Education Trust Fund.

    NAN