The governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education as well as the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to, as a matter of priority, develop a new workable roadmap that will significantly lift up Nigeria’s basic education subsector to a higher pedestal.
The governor gave the charge on Friday in Lagos while declaring open the ongoing two-day retreat organised by UBEC for members of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.
The conference with the theme “Basic Education Implementation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Way Forward,” has the former governor of Ogun State and now a serving senator, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, as Chairman.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Saliu-Hundeyin, emphasised the importance of basic education to national growth and development.
According to him, the quality of basic education of a country will largely determine the strength of its future leaders, economic vibrancy and cohesiveness of communities.
He said that was why it is imperative for the committee and UBEC to effectively use the retreat to address the issues and challenges that have been hindering the effectiveness of basic education subsector in the country and proffer a vibrant working system.
Giving an opening remark, the Chairman of the retreat and former governor of Ogun State, Sen. Gbenga Daniel, identified some issues and challenges that need to be addressed to move the subsector forward appreciably.
He listed lack of access, poor infrastructures, lack of competent teachers and instructional materials, obsolete curriculum, inadequate funding, high teacher\students ratio, limited access to technology, societal and cultural barriers as major ones.
He also offered some tips including bringing back of primary education to be under the local government administration as best solution to the problems, saying the retreat is expected to bring about a desirable change in the system, urging participants to freely share ideas and expertise.
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In his own remark, the chairman of Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Sen. Lawal Usman, expressed readiness by the committee to chart a new course for basic education in the country.
He placed emphasy on the 2004 UBEC Act, saying the retreat will wholistically look into issues in the document and relate them to the emerging trends in the subsector and then come up with better and practicable recommendations.
Welcoming participants to the event, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, harped on the essence of the gathering and other related stakeholders’ engagements, saying all is geared towards preparing a better future for every Nigeria child.
He particularly made reference to UBEC Act of 2004, saying the 20-year-old legislation is long overdue for review to reflect the current economic reality and best global practices in basic education, covering first nine years of the educational system.
He noted that the right time to do the review is no any other than now when the country is struggling to bail itself out of economic gaugmire.
Bobboyi, however, acknowledged and commended the Lagos State government for the “remarkable progress recorded in the development of the state in general and basic education subsector in particular.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE