Basic and Secondary Education
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF BASIC AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
BASIC AND SECONDARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
VISION
To provide universal and equal access to quality basic and secondary education that will ensure self-reliance, preparedness for further education, good citizenship and effective participation in democratic governance.
MISSION
To provide the enabling structures and build capacity for efficient and effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National Policy on Education in the Basic and Secondary sub-sector.
MANDATE
The main mandate of the Department is:
1.To generate Policy framework and supervise implementation of policies for the Provision of Basic Education for all children of school age including children with Special needs; Post Basic Education for children who qualify and desire it; Special needs education, Adult and Non-Formal Education; Gender Education;
2.Formulation of Policies for strategic and systematic development of junior secondary education within the framework of the UBE programme.
3.Liaising with NECO to conduct the National Common Entrance for placement of students into the Federal Unity Colleges and the harmonization of the Basic Education Certificate.
4.Guide the policy decision of the states Ministries of education through its chairmanship of JCC preference and plenary committee on basic and secondary education taking into consideration the nation policy on education.
Short Term Strategies
Basic and Secondary Education Department on short term strategies is to provide basic education to all children of school age including children with special needs through:
1.Advocacy, sensitization and awareness creation on the value of education to states and local governments and communities;
2. Provision of Leadership and tracking activities for national achievement of Education For All (EFA) goals and education related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
3.Supervision and operation of Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) to serve as vehicle for national integration and unity as well as models for States and Private Secondary Schools; and
4.Effective implementation of the 1-9 -3 curriculum in line with current trends
Long Term Strategies
1.Promote gender parity through sensitization, modeling, etc Provide incentives for girl child, boy-child education;
2.Provide conducive school environment, water and sanitation, gender-friendly curriculum, etc.;
3.Improve infrastructure in rural schools;
4.Provide infrastructure to aid improved access from home to school
5.Review/ improve processes of identification & monitoring of special needs students to ensure access/ equity;
6.Develop guidelines that will articulate minimum standards for all aspects of basic education (i.e. infrastructure, teacher, instructional); and
7.Provision of open school to address the issues of Out of school children.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO REPOSITIONING NIGERIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
This has mainly been done in terms of formulation of appropriate policies, some of the policies include:
•Minimum standards for establishment of Early Childhood Development Education Centres;
•Guidelines for implementation of ECD policy;
•Establishment of Resource Centre and Model Creche at FME to provide standards;
•National Policy on Gender in Basic Education and its Guidelines;
•National Framework on Girls and Women Education;
These documents are the response to the challenges of achieving gender equality as enunciated in the 1999 Constitution;
•National policy on Albinism
•National policy on Special Needs Education;
Leadership is a critical issue in any human endeavour. To ensure that the best qualified persons are appointed Principals and Heads of schools, the Department came up (through the NCE) with a guideline on appointment of Principals;
To ensure sanity and maintain standards in the private sector involvement in Basic and Secondary Education, FME has compiled the Register of approved private schools in Nigeria. This would help in the monitoring and supervision of private schools;
The changing of the 6-3-3-4 system of Education to 1-6-3-3-4 system to include the one year ECCDE system to create access; and
Establishment of a Language Clinic at the FME Hq to revive the teaching and learning of the three major Nigerian Languages and two foreigner languages, French and English.
CHALLENGES
i.Poor funding;
ii.Wide disparity between expected and actual enrolment;
iii.Inadequate and inaccurate data;
iv.Poverty;
v.Inadequate infrastructure;
vi.Distance of schools from homes;
vii.Teacher factor;
viii.Gender disparity;
ix.Urban-Rural dichotomy; and
x.Other factors of exclusion:
(e.g. myths, early marriage, poverty and
aversion for western education
by some communities)
The measures being taken to meet the challenges
1.Strengthening of capacity building and deployment of appropriate manpower;
2.Provision of legal backing for existence/operations of SBMCs and Strengthening of international linkages and partnerships with the public and private sector;
3.Increased synergize with states through various programmes of interventions for increased enrolment.
4.Promote gender parity through sensitisation, modelling, formation of mothers association SBMC etc in all schools.
1.SPECIAL EDUCATION DIVISION
A.GENDER EDUCATION BRANCH
With reference to your internal circular dated 30th September, 2015 the following information and publications are hereby submitted by the Gender Education Branch:
i)National Policy on Gender in Basic Education (2007), and
ii)Guidelines for implementing National Policy on Gender in Basic Education.
iii)National Framework on Girls and women Education (2012).
The following are some of the activities carried out to date
Establishment/Training of SBMCs members in 20 States (2008/2009)
•Institutionalization of Students’ Tutoring, Mentoring and Counselling (STUMEC) in Schools in 21 States (2008/2009);
•Establishment and Capacity Building of Mothers’ Association members (2011/2012).
•Capacity Building of Mothers’ Association members and Community Based Organization on Income Generating Activities in Katsina, Kano, Ogun, Kwara Bayelsa and Benue States to help assistant children particularly the girl-child have quality education (2014);
•Capacity building of Matrons/Patrons and Executives members of Girls’ Education Movement (GEM) in Unity Colleges. This is a club to encourage girls to be able to speak out (2012);
•Re-introduction of Skills Acquisition (handiwork) for boys/girls in Primary School in Nasarawa State (2014).
B.ADULT AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION BRANCH
There are a number of programmes currently being implemented in the Adult and Non-Formal Education Sub-sector. FME implements these programmes through NMEC, the Parastatal charged with eradicating illiteracy:
i)Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy: In 2013 – 2014, UNESCO and NMEC trained facilitators of Adult and Youth Learners and opened literacy centres in four (4) LGAs in each of the focus States. This is to reduce poverty rate, create employment for its citizens and provide efficient health care for mothers and children. It is also to ensure inclusive, equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunity among Youths and Adult Learners, to have access to learning and acquire knowledge and skills.
ii) Model Almajiri Boarding Schools: It is to get the almajiri adult boys and girls out of the street for better learning environment.
iii)Review of out-of-School Boys and Girl-Child Curriculum. The purpose being to make the curriculum a determinant of the achievement and performance of learners. In other words to make the curriculum functional enough as to inspire in learners capacity for self-discovery.
C.SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION AND SERVICES BRANCH
PUBLICATION/POLICIES DEVELOPED
(i) National Policy and Implementation Guidelines on Special Needs Education in Nigeria; 2015.
(ii)National Policy on Albinism and Guidelines for Implementation in Nigeria; 2012.
(iii)Training Manual on Adaptation and Implemen
(iv)tation of Inclusive Education in Nigeria; 2010
(v) Multi-Stage Multiple Criteria System for Identification of Gifted Children and Youths in Nigeria; 2009.
LIST OF PROJECTS AND INFORMATION ON THEM
Established the National Educational Diagnostic and Assessment Centre for Children and Youths with Disabilities
i)The centre when fully completed shall take care of all cases of disabilities and referrals from schools and centres nationwide.
ii)The Centre is located along airport road Abuja
LIST OF INITIATIVES
i) Retooling of Regular Classroom Teachers on Inclusive Education Practice in Nigeria.
ii) Capacity Building or Re-training of Personnel/Staff of Special Needs on the Utilization of Specialised Materials/Structures at the National Education Diagnostic Centre.
2.UNITY SCHOOLS DIVISION
LIST OF PROJECTS
(A) PROJECT
1. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF 104 PRINCIPALS OF FEDERAL UNITY COLLEGESOBJECTIVES
To promote continuous professional development of
Principals for effective management of schools.
2. Annual workshop for form Teachers, Senior Boarding
House Master/Mistresses of FUCs.The aim is to acquaint the Form Teachers, Senior Boarding House
Masters/Mistresses of FUCs on the effective management of students/hostels.
3. Workshop for all SBMC Chairmen of 104 Federal Unity
Colleges.To acquaint the Chairmen on the importance of SBMC and their roles.
4. Retreat for new Principals and Vice PrincipalsTo refresh the new Principals and the Vice Principals and instill in them management skills for effective planning, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of all facet of FUCs
5. Monitoring and Evaluation of School Based Management
Committees in the 104 FUCs.FME representatives who attend School Based Management Committee meetings are to keep members of the Committee abreast of relevant Ministry policies and decisions.
6. Selection of qualified candidates under Merit, state and
environmental Quota into JSS ITo emphasize on Merit in the Selection Exercise to 104 Unity Colleges
7. Capacity Building of patrons of clubs and society in FUCs.To build the capacity of patrons of clubs and society in the FUCs for effective delivery.
(B) LIST OF INITIATIVES
SCHOOLS DEBATE FOR 104 UNITY SCHOOLS.To enhance the students spoken and written English as well as address the challenge of deficiency in English language which in some cases hinder students from transiting to Tertiary Institutions.
3.BASIC EDUCATION DIVION
A.JUNIOR SECONDARY EDUCATION BRANCH,
LIST OF ANNUAL PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES
1.Development of Basic Education Certificate Examination Syllabus (Stages 2 and 3).
2.Monitoring of the conduct of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) nationwide.
3.Organisation of one Week Intensive Workshop, for Junior Secondary School Teachers in the 6 Geo-Political Zones of Nigeria, on acquision of Skills in Item Writing.
4.Bi-Annual Review Meetings of all Registrars/Chief Executive Officers of States/FCT Examination Bodies on Harmonisation and Standardisation of Basic Education Certificate Examination.
5.Capacity Building Workshop for Staff of Junior Secondary Education, Branch of Federal Ministry of Education, on Examination Ethics and Monitoring.
6.Sensitisation Workshop for States and FCT Examination Officers on effective implementation of the Revised 9-Year Basic Education Curriculum.
CHALLENGE(S)
Fund paucity among others, has been a cog in the wheel of efficient, effective and regular national coverage/implementation of the Programmes. On yearly basis, budgetary allocation from Federal Government dwindles, at times, not forthcoming.
LANGUAGE PROJECTS DIVISION
List of Projects and Information on them.
The Foreign Languages Branch facilitated the signing of the Agreement for the third Project for the Promotion of the Teaching and Learning of French in Nigeria.
The Agreement was signed on 15th May 2015 by the then Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and the French Ambassador to Nigeria.
The first phase of the project which involved the training of 6 experts in France was completed in August, 2015.
List of Initiatives and Information on them.
The Division has been operating the language clinic. The Clinic trains FME staff to acquire basic skills in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and French languages.
LIST OF PROJECTS BY SECONDARY EDUCATION AND INFORMATION ON THEM.
1) Data Verification Exercise in 104 Federal Unity Colleges
Information
Quality and reliable data/information is required to enable better identification and measurement of education development outcomes, more effective policy and planning, implementation, monitoring and measurement of the impact of interventions and reforms in the education sector.
This project is aimed at:
•making available comprehensive and reliable data/information in the 104 Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
•focusing on students enrolment (M/F), Teachers (M/F, qualification, etc.), non-teaching staff as well as facilities available in the various Unity Colleges in Nigeria; and
•producing indicators that will provide pointers to meaningful planning of our educational delivery system, particularly in our Unity Schools.
2) Capacity building on improving the Pedagogy of Mathematics and Science Subjects.
Information
Due to the numerous challenges faced in teaching, especially in Mathematics and Science Subjects, it has become imperative to prepare vital strategies at the secondary school level to overcome these challenges.
This project is aimed at:
•promoting the role of the teacher as a facilitator in Mathematics and Science subjects
•reflecting the training skills of the teacher in the classroom process
•addressing learning difficulties associated with the teaching of Mathematics and science subjects.
•implementing activities based teaching
•discussing and proffering solutions on learning difficulties identified by teachers in mathematics and science subjects.
3) Safe School Initiative Project
BACKGROUND
The North Eastern states of (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe) and some other states in Nigeria have witnessed unprecedented insurgency and conflicts from 2009 to date leading to an estimated over 2 million IDPs all over the country with more than 300,000 living in IDP camps. The education sector has negatively been affected and schooling has continuously been disrupted by Boko Haram insurgency. School children were killed, abducted, displaced leading to a high level of trauma. More than 254 schools were destroyed and facilities burnt down. Most public schools in Borno states have been closed since 2014 as the schools have been converted to IDP camps.
The Safe Schools Initiative was launched by the UN Special Envoy and former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown following the terrorist group, Boko Haram attack and abduction of more than 200 school girls from Government Secondary school Chibok in Borno State, North East Nigeria in 2014.
The Steering Committee is chaired by Honourable Minister of Finance. The Technical Committee is chaired by the DG NEMA. Programme implementation is carried out by the Technical Committee. Other members of the Committees include NEMA, FME, and Development Partners such as DFID, UNICEF, USAID and the German government (GIZ), NSA and Nigeria Business Leaders
The Safe Schools Initiative in Nigeria has so far received funding from the Nigeria government, the Business Community in Nigeria, Foreign Governments and international donor agencies
UNICEF is supporting IDP students in various camps in Borno, Adamawa and Gombe States. Various intervention programmes designed in conjunction with FME include purchase of 40 School-in-a- box, 800 School bags to schools in camps and 35,000 school bags with learning materials for students in IDP camps.
2069 out of 2400 IDPs have been transferred to 43 federal unity colleges in the North Central, North West and North East and are gradually adjusting to academic life in the schools.
Safe Schools Initiative and DFID in conjunction with the Nigerian Army Engineering Corp have conducted an assessment of the scope of work needed to reconstruct 30 damaged schools in the insurgency ravaged areas in the first instance.(Ten schools per state)
There are now over 7 million out-of-school children as a result of the insurgency.
USAID in conjunction with Education in Crisis and conflict network (ECCN) organised a workshop in Nigeria for education stakeholders in Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi and Yobe state on
education in crisis environments in Northern Nigeria.
PROJECT UNDER BASIC AND SECONDARY EDUCATION:
STATE EDUCATION PROGRAMME INVESTMENT PROJECT (SEPIP)
A.BRIEF ON SEPIP
1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP) is a World Bank assisted project which is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education, Basic and Secondary Education Department, to support Education Programs implemented by the participating States of Anambra, Bauchi and Ekiti to improve the quality, access and efficiency of their education.
SEPIP is a pilot project (financed by a US $ 150 million Specific Investment Credit to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which in turn disburses part of the funds to the three participating States through subsidiary financing agreements) which supports the design and implementation of educational activities in the three participating States at basic and secondary education level over the period from March 2013 to October 2017.
The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to support:
(a)need-based teacher deployment;
(b)measurement of student learning in participating States; and
(c)school level management and accountability;
This will contribute to, and complement, the programs and priorities of participating States in addressing education access, quality and efficiency issues, through their own funding, financing from UBEC and other government agencies, as well as other development partners.
The project supports five critical results which are agreed performance indicators captured by the five Disbursement –linked Indicators (DLIs) namely:
DLI 1: Teacher Deployment in Rural Areas
DLI 2: Teacher Deployment in Core Subjects
DLI 3: Assessment of Student Achievement
DLI 4: Technical and Vocational Schools
DLI 5: School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs)
PROJECT COMPONENTS:
The project consists of two components:
Component 1(US $ 125 million): A results-based financing supporting participating States’ education sector reform programme to improve the quality, access and efficiency of their education system. The results-based component features a relatively novel approach of disbursements conditional to achievement of DLIs.
Component 2 (US $ 25 million): This component provides technical assistance channeled through two levels: (a) State level (US $ 20 million) - supporting participating States towards achievement of DLIs, and the associated institutional capacity strengthening; and
(b) Federal level (US $ 5 million) – supporting the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and UBEC in overall project coordination and in providing the enabling environment in line with national policies, and in ensuring sustainability and scaling-up of successful activities in other potential States, for instance in Edo State.
2.0KEY ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT IN THE PROJECT FROM INCEPTION
SEPIP was declared effective on August 27th, 2013.
The National launch of the project took place on 18th October, 2013.
SEPIP – was launched in Anambra on November 5th, Ekiti State on November 21st and Bauchi State on November 29th 2013.
The National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) has been constituted and was inaugurated on 19th December, 2013.
The NPSC is chaired by the Honourable Minister of Education and is composed primarily of representatives from:
i.Federal Ministry of Finance;
ii.The National Planning Commission;
iii.Participating States’ Ministries of Education;
iv.Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); and
v.Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
The first National Project Steering Committee meeting took place on 16th October, 2014, chaired by the Hon. Minister of Education Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.
3.0YEAR 1 (2013) PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
The project is on track to meet its development objectives and the project implementation process has been smooth.
The FPSU successfully procured the services of individual consultants for the verification of achievement of the first year (2013) DLI targets.
Anambra
Based on independent verification, Anambra State met its Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) targets for the first year (2013), consequently, the State claimed full disbursement against 2013 DLIs amounting to over US $ 10 million.
Bauchi
After independent verification and validation, it was confirmed that Bauchi State met all five DLIs for Year 1 (2013). The State therefore claimed full disbursement against 2013 DLIs amounting to over US $ 10 million.
Ekiti
Similarly, based on independent verification and validation, Ekiti State met all five DLIs for 2013 consequently, the State claimed full disbursements against DLIs for Year 1, amounting to over $10 million.
Federal Ministry of Education
The Federal Ministry of Education (FME) provides policy guidance and chairs the National Project Steering Committee, which is responsible for overall coordination and monitoring of project implementation, assisted by UBEC.
4.0YEAR 2 (2014) IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS
Implementation towards the timely achievement of the DLIs for the second year (2014) has largely been concluded in all the three States with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education. Presently, verification of the achievement of the DLIs for 2014 has been carried out in the three participating States by a firm of Independent verifiers and the verification reports, reviewed by the FPSU-FME have been sent to the World Bank where they are currently receiving attention.
5.0YEAR 3 (2015) IMPLEMENTATION
In certain instances, the States have carried out implementation beyond the targets set for the achievement of the 2014 DLIs. However, the independent verification of the achievement of DLIs beyond 2014 would be carried out in due course.
B.OUTLINE OF ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT IN 2014/2015
Brief outline of activities carried out under the Project in 2014/2015 include:
•Technical assistance to support key policy reforms
•Training and capacity building
•International study tours
•Provision of policy guidance for smooth project implementation
•Implementation Support Missions
•Engaging deeply with the participating States and UBEC in ensuring the achievement of the DLI targets.
•The FPSU also procured the services of independent consulting firm for the verification of achievement of the second year (2014) DLI targets.
•The FPSU submits monthly report of the status of project implementation in the 3 States as well as activities at the national level including UBEC to the World Bank.
Mrs. Okonkwo, Anne. O