The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has taken a step towards addressing the issue of out-of-school children in Nigeria by establishing about 51 model Junior Secondary School/Vocational Schools in the 17 beneficiary states of the World Bank-supported Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) project.
Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, the Executive Secretary, UBEC, expressed satisfaction with the progress made during an inspection visit to one of the schools, UBEC JSS/Vocational School (Government Secondary School) Suleja, Niger State.
He emphasised the importance of the new facilities in equipping students with essential skills for their future.
“I’m highly impressed by what I have seen, the work that was contracted out. We have come along with the school community to ensure that this project is delivered according to specifications,” Bobboyi stated.
He highlighted the significance of the BESDA project in addressing the issue of out-of-school children, emphasising the need for the new schools to provide a conducive environment for learning and skill acquisition.
Each of the JSS/Vocational Schools is equipped with essential infrastructure, including computer labs, laboratories, e-libraries, workshops, and well-furnished classrooms to enhance the learning experience for students.
“We hope that it will be fully utilized by the school to ensure that our children have a conducive environment to learn and acquire some skills that will help them in their future lives, especially this school being a Vocational Junior Secondary School,” Bobboyi added.
He further stressed the importance of collaboration between UBEC and state governments to ensure the routine maintenance of the schools.
He emphasised the need for a partnership approach in delivering functional basic education, stating, “Delivery of functional basic education in Nigeria has to be a partnership, saying there was no way the Federal Government would sit in Abuja and address all issues in basic education.”
