Niger State Government has said it has expended well over N7 billion in the payment of counterpart funds for the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) from 2013 – 2019 to ensure delivery of basic educational materials in the state.
The State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, made the disclosure at the official flag-off of 2017/2019 National Quality Assurance Training of Directors and Education Secretaries on Tuesday in Minna, with the theme “Effective School Evaluation: Panacea for Improving Learning Outcomes and Strengthening of the School System”.
Ketso explained that the intervention has been instrumental to the resuscitation of near-collapse educational infrastructure across the state while the training was aimed at improving teachers capacity.
He added that the training programme will enhance the capacity of the educational managers especially the teachers in order to meet the contemporary challenges of educational needs, as well as to improving on the quality of instructional materials.
Earlier, in his remarks at the occasion, the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, represented by his deputy, Malam Mansir Idris, who commended Niger State government, noted that quality assurance staff must undergo competence test.
He noted that there was a team for monitoring of teaching and learning in the schools and assured of repositioning of the education sector for greater performance in the country hence the provision of such programme.
The Executive Chairman Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Isah Adamu, in his welcome address stated “that Quality Assurance Officers shall provide professional services of support, guidance, monitoring, inspection, evaluation and reporting on the process of teaching and learning in schools on the development and the implementation of the curriculum.
Speaking further, he said “the qualities sought for to be a Quality Assurance Officer is that of a capable educator, with vision, knowledge, competence and a drive to form part of a dynamic team within the education system,” stressing that, “to this end, we set the ball rolling by setting a standard that who so ever becomes a Quality Assurance Officer, must undergo a competency test.”
Dr Adamu added that in order to ease the challenges faced by the field Quality Assurance Officers at the Zonal level, the Board procured and distributed 17 Bajaj Motorcycles for continuous quality assurance monitoring, 5 Laptops, Desktops, Photocopiers and UPS for report writing, in addition with a Hilux Van that was purchased for continuous quality assurance monitoring at the Board Headquarters.”
The State Hon. Commissioner of Education, Hajiya Hannatu Jibrin Salihu, said that the importance of Quality Assurance to Education cannot be overemphasized, as it boosts teacher’s performance, learner’s achievement and stakeholder’s participation all with a view to a more robust functional Educational System.
She noted that the Ministry has set up a mechanism that will enhance teacher’s performance for optimal productivity through continuous monitoring and professional development driven by the Quality Assurance And Standards Agency.
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