The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education has threatened action against schools, especially private ones, 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 on Thursday, while monitoring the 2022 national personnel audit at Pilot Science Nursery/Primary School, Wuse Zone 5 and Junior Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3, all in Abuja.
UBEC is currently carrying out a national personnel audit of all basic education schools 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 per cent of their 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 number of schools have increased over time but we don’t have enough teachers. We are closing schools because of security, it’s 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, government will not do it. There are schools without water, toilets, no playground 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 made the difference in any country.
“So when I said since 1960, the fundamentally structural challenges and contractions in Nigeria have remain 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.
“As a lesson to others I can assure you that I, along with my colleagues, will be proposing a law to make it compulsory for every private school to supply 100 per cent of the personnel data, even without being asked and to grant 100 per cent access at all times to SUBEB, UBEC staff, that is number one.
“Number two, the private schools think they are island because they are private, they are private within the laws of Nigeria, so I’m really shocked to hear that some private schools closed their doors and refused to grant access, they are taking the major risk. We will see what will happen next year,” the lawmaker said.
Earlier, the executive chairman 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.
“What is going on now is a better opportunity for us to have at our finger tips data that concerns the enrollment, teachers and infrastructure.
“And I think it’s better to plan when you have your data at your finger tip. I think the best thing that federal government is doing for Nigerian citizens is in ensuring free and compulsory basic education for our children,” Sule stated.
