House Committee on Basic Education has threatened action against schools, especially the privately owned, resisting the national personnel audit being conducted by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
The chairman of the committee, Hon. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, stated this in Abuja yesterday, while monitoring the 2022 national personnel audit at Pilot Science Nursery/Primary School, Wuse Zone 5 and Junior Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja.
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) is currently carrying out a national personnel audit of all basic education institutions in the country.
Ihonvbere noted that he will be proposing a law, along with other colleagues, to make it compulsory for every private school to supply 100 percent of the personnel data.
“What has been lacking in this country is the policy consistency, the ability to align policy formulation with policy performance and funding the education sector adequately and ensuring that resources go to the right places
“Yes, the numbers of schools have increased over time but we don’t have enough teachers. We are closing schools because of security, is not the teachers that will provide the security, it is the government so they need to do something about that.
“You go outside the capital city of any state most schools are not even fenced, even perimeter fencing, governance will not do it. There are schools without water, toilet’s, and no play ground for primary school pupils, so we need to take this education very seriously if we really want to change this country. It is education that makes the difference in any country.
“So, when I said since 1960 the fundamentally structural challenges and contractions in Nigeria have remained constant, I know what I’m talking about.
“The private schools are taking a major risk, even the school where UBEC staff was arrested.
I’m surprised that the board has not closed down that school.
Earlier, the executive chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Universal Basic Education Board, Alh. Alhassan Sule said availability of data will help to address some of the issues facing the education sector.
