Stakeholders call for regular review of basic education plans to meet current trends

Stakeholders in the educational sector have called on the government to ensure regular review of Nigeria’s Basic Education plans to meet current trends amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

This, they said, will ensure effective and better efficiency in pursuance of quality basic education in Nigeria, Lagos State in particular as a model towards achievement of better outcomes in basic education.

Their positions were stated in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day training for basic education handlers which includes heads of education at the local government areas, education districts, TESCOM officers, school administrators and selected teachers in Lagos. The workshop was aimed at determining the strategies needed in ensuring quality basic education in Nigeria, especially Lagos State.

The executive director, Human Development Initiatives (HDI), Olufunso Owasanoye said basic education is compulsory for every child of school age and planned to drastically reduce incidents of drop out from the formal school system.

According to her, the government should ensure strict compliance to UNESCO recommendation on budgetary allocation for education, while all projects once initiated should be completed.

Owasanoye opined that there should be strategic mobilization of all stakeholders on the need to embrace and support basic education to achieve its desired goals.

“Government should put more effort to involve more practical oriented subjects and special attention given to talent hunt to arouse interest of students,” said Owasanoye.

Head of Education, Ajah LCDA, Folayemi Ajayi said basic education sets the foundation on which a nation’s educational system is built; so it is a human right and for public good.

A cross section of the participants at the workshop observed that no state in the federation, including Lagos State, despite the vast resources available has been able to realize its maximum capacity of 100 per cent of Gross Enrolment, Retention in school as well as Completion Ratio with appropriate expectation. According to the participants, inadequate budgetary provision for education and re-allocation of appropriated funds to other sectors is a major challenge to basic education in Nigeria.