By Okeoghene Akubuike
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has organised a two-day workshop in Abuja, focused on provision and use of instructional materials in UBE schools.
Mr Ossom Ossom UBEC, Head of Public Relations and Protocol, said on Friday that the workshop was for Directors and Desk Officers in charge of instructional materials in the 36 State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) and FCT UBEB.
Ossom said the UBE Act, 2004 mandated UBEC to provide free instructional materials to learners in the basic education sub-sector.
According to him, in executing this mandate, UBEC utilises the approved 15 per cent of the 2 per cent of the UBE intervention funds in providing diverse instructional materials to public schools.
He said UBEC in partnership with SUBEBs commenced the provision and distribution of instructional materials through various mechanisms to end users at the school level since 2009.
Ossom said 120,622,776 textbooks, library resources, Early Childhood Development (ECD) materials and teaching aides had been supplied to public schools nationwide as at 2016.
According to him, the Federal Government through UBEC was seeking to attain a 1:1 pupil/textbook ratio in all public schools within the shortest possible time.
He said Core subjects; Mathematics, Basic Science, English Language, Social Studies, Library Resource and ECD materials and teaching aids were among the prime considerations in the instructional materials intervention.
“In spite of successes attained through this noble intervention, various challenges have been encountered especially in the distribution and utilisation of such materials provided by the Federal Government.
“In the bid to address the notable constraints and chart a way forward for improved outcomes, UBEC has convened a 2-day meeting in Kaduna for Directors and Desk Officers in charge of instructional materials in the 36 SUBEBs and FCT UBEB.
“The meeting is part of UBEC’s strategic engagements with key stakeholders in the instructional materials intervention with the view to attaining the objectives of providing quality and free instructional materials in the basic education sub-sector.”
He said a major activity of the meeting was the consideration of the Report of the Assessment of the Availability and Utilisation of Instructional Materials in the 36 States and FCT.
Other activities included findings from ICPC’s Monitoring Reports on the provision of instructional materials across the country, as well as appraisal by participants of the newly introduced Book Policy for the procurements and supply of instructional materials under the UBE Programme.
Ossom said Dr Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary, UBEC, harped on the need for proper planning and improved synergy among stakeholders.
He said Bobboyi, represented by Director Academic Services, Malam Wadatau Madawaki, said the synergy would improve the modalities of instructional materials provision, availability and utilisation in schools.
According to him, the meeting also had in attendance officials of Nigeria Educational Research Development Commission and UBEC Zonal Directors from the six geo-political zones. (NAN)
